The ban on the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 will be reinstituted, and this still follows the US International Trade Commission's (ITC) decision to remove it from being sold due to the patent infringement dispute. Starting January 18, the current generation Apple Watch devices will no longer be available to purchase, particularly those that still have the blood oxygen features.
However, it was said that Apple has worked on a version of the Series 9 and Ultra 2 without the said infringed technology, but that remains unknown when it would be available in the market.
Apple Watch Series 9, Ultra 2's Ban Starts Again Today
(Photo : Apple)
The previous decision of the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit which denied Apple's request to pause the ban is coming around again, and it was said that by January 18, 2024, effective 5 PM ET, Apple Watch sales are prohibited in the US.
It is only a matter of time before 5 PM ET today, with Apple forced yet again to take down the listings of its Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2.
Ultimately, this is due to the ITC's ruling that claimed Apple infringed on two patents from Masimo, with this ban centering on the Apple Watches with the blood oxygen monitoring feature.
Will we still see the Latest Apple Watch for Sale?
While the future is uncertain for Apple, it has reportedly already revamped the Series 9 and Ultra 2 by removing the said disputed feature, so that it does not violate any patents. However, 9to5 Mac said that despite these new versions, the US Customs ruled earlier this week that the new versions fall outside the scope of the ITC.
The ITC is yet to decide on Apple's appeal and revamped versions of the Apple Watch, still with possibilities for the future sales of the Series 9 and Ultra 2.
Apple Watch and its Patent Dispute
Back in October 2023, the long-time dispute between Apple and a California-based health tech company, Masimo, saw one of the monumental decisions against Cupertino's tech. This was because the ITC upheld its decision regarding the patent infringement on Masimo's proprietary technology, used by Apple on its latest Series 9 and Ultra 2 watches, centering on the Blood Oxygen monitoring feature.
Less than two months later, Apple went ahead and suspended the sales of the disputed Apple Watch models which used the said technology, pulling it out from their online and retail stores. Still, the company looked for possible ways to appeal this decision by the ITC, offering a solution to the dispute that would still give both sides a win as ITC's decision is still observed.
There were reports that Apple's workaround on this patent infringement case is to remove the blood oxygen monitoring feature, and these revamped devices are already available in stores, but not yet sold. However, the revamped versions are still seeing a dispute, but this time, with the US Customs, with the ITC's ruling still looming over Apple's head, resulting in the resumption of its ban on US sales.
