US Customs clears redesigned Apple watches from import ban

In the ongoing patent infringement dispute between Apple and medical technology company Masimo, a US law enforcement agency has determined that Apple's redesigned watches are exempt from an import ban. The ban, issued by the US International Trade Commission (ITC), affected Apple's Series 9 and Ultra 2 watches.

Apple convinced the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to temporarily pause the ban as it contests the ruling.

Apple claimed that a proposed redesign would address the patent infringement concerns related to Masimo's blood-oxygen reading pulse oximetry technology. While Apple has not disclosed the specifics of the redesign, it stated to the US Customs and Border Protection agency that the new watches "definitively do not contain pulse oximetry functionality." The decision from the agency, issued on Friday, allows Apple to continue selling the watches.

Masimo, however, maintains its stance, alleging that Apple has hired away its employees and stolen pulse oximetry technology for use in Apple Watches. Apple countersued, accusing Masimo of attempting to clear the way for its own competing smartwatch. The dispute led to the ITC ban on Apple's watches, which went into effect in December.

Apple resumed selling the Series 9 and Ultra 2 watches after the Federal Circuit paused the ban. The ongoing appeal, expected to take at least a year, prompts Apple to seek a continued pause on the ban. The Customs decision, according to Masimo, challenges Apple's claim that reinstating the ban would cause irreparable harm. The Federal Circuit is yet to decide on the pause's continuation or the potential reinstatement of the ban.

(With Reuters inputs)