Health tech firm Masimo is at the heart of the dispute with Apple relating to some Apple Watch models. The CEO of the company, Joe Kiani has spoken about the feud between his company and Apple that has resulted in the halt on the sale of some Apple Watch models.

Kiani, speaking to Bloomberg TV, stated that in 2013, he spoke to Apple because the company was considering acquiring Masimo or hiring him. He said that the actions leading to the infringement of their patent rights were not accidental but a deliberate taking of Masimo’s intellectual property. Kiani accused Apple of hiring more than 20 Masimo engineers. He said he was glad the world could now see that they were the true inventors and creators of these technologies. Kiani added that Masimo was open to settling with Apple but that is yet to materialize.

Could the sales halt transform the Apple Watch 9 into a collector’s item?

Apple announced this week that it would stop selling two Apple Watch models after the International Trade Commission ruled that their use of blood-oxygen sensing violated Masimo’s patents. The commission also proposed a ban on imports of the watches starting from December 25, 2023. Apple announced that the affected models will be withdrawn from shelves before the deadline. Masimo says the ITC decision to exclude certain foreign-made Apple Watch models demonstrates that even the world’s most powerful company must play by the rules.

Apple, however, has said it strongly disagrees with the ITC ruling. It is pursuing a range of legal and technical options to ensure that Apple Watch is available to customers. Should the order stand, Apple said it will continue to take all measures to return the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 to customers in the US as soon as possible.

The ban on sales affected the Series 9 and Ultra 2 models of the Apple Watch. Apple made a counter accusation against Kiani that he initiated the patent violation case to benefit his smartwatch which was a dupe of the Apple Watch.

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