The $634 million ruling in the patent dispute with Masimo was already final – now interest is being added. A US federal judge has ordered Apple to pay an additional $184 million. However, it won't be quite as expensive as Masimo had demanded.
Bloomberg Law reports on the decision. Judge James V. Selna of the District Court for the Central District of California ordered Apple to pay interest on the damages for the period prior to the verdict. This increases the total amount to approximately $818 million.
In July, Apple's attempt to overturn the jury verdict or force a new trial failed. Only the question of interest remained unresolved. The dispute is one of several between the two companies concerning the Apple Watch.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Apple must pay an additional $184 million in interest on the $634 million in damages.
- The total amount thus rises to approximately $818 million, with interest from the date of the verdict to be added.
- The court rejected Masimo's demand for an interest rate of 7 percent.
- The patent expired in June 2022; current Apple Watch models are not affected.
Why the court awards interest
Apple had argued that interest for the period before the ruling would constitute an unearned gain for Masimo. Selna disagreed, citing precedents set by the US Supreme Court. According to these precedents, such interest only puts the patent holder in the same position as if they had received the license payments on time.
Masimo is thus compensated for the period during which it lost out on the license fees it should have received during the patent infringement. The $184 million represents approximately 29 percent of the original damages claim.
Where Masimo couldn't get through
Masimo had demanded an interest rate of 7 percent. This would have increased the interest payments to $243 million. The court instead based the calculation on Masimo's own loan interest rate, accruing interest annually from the beginning of the patent infringement.
| Position | Amount |
|---|---|
| Damages awarded according to jury verdict (November 2025) | 634 million US dollars |
| Interest before the judgment, awarded by the court | 184 million US dollars |
| sum | approximately 818 million US dollars |
| Interest rates at Masimo's demanded rate of 7 percent | 243 million US dollars |
The difference between this amount and Masimo's claim is $59 million. This does not include interest, which will continue to accrue from the date of the verdict until Apple pays.
What the proceedings are about
In November 2025, a jury ruled that Apple Watch features such as high heart rate notifications infringed a pulse oximetry patent held by Masimo. The patent expired in June 2022. The ruling therefore applies to past sales and has no impact on the heart rate functions of current models.
Separately, the dispute over blood oxygen monitoring devices continues, which led to an import ban on certain models in the US. In April, the US International Trade Commission (ITC) ended the proceedings regarding a renewed import ban.
An expensive journey through the courts
I consider the interest ruling the logical consequence of Apple's strategy of dragging the case through all instances over years. The longer the dispute lasts, the more interest accrues – and the calculation doesn't begin with the verdict, but with the start of the infringement. Apple has already announced its intention to appeal, and until then, the total amount will continue to grow.
For Apple Watch users in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, the decision changes nothing. It concerns compensation for US sales from the years up to 2022, not a function on the devices themselves.
Do you think Apple's approach through all the legal channels was the right one, or would an earlier settlement have ultimately been more cost-effective? Let us know your calculations in the comments.
