Court upholds ban on Apple watch sales in the US due to patent dispute

Apple has been banned from selling two models of its smartwatches in the US due to an ongoing patent dispute. The company was previously allowed to sell its Series 9 and Ultra 2 watches while the legal proceedings were underway, but a US appeals court has now reversed that decision. This ban also applies to imports of the watches. To keep the products on shelves, Apple is expected to disable a blood oxygen feature that is at the center of the dispute. The dispute between Apple and medical technology company Masimo involves allegations of staff poaching and technology theft. Masimo and its spin-off company Cercacor claim that Apple stole technology they developed to measure oxygen levels in the blood. While most versions of Apple's watches include the disputed feature, the SE model does not. The ban on importing the affected watches went into effect on Thursday. Masimo's CEO, Joe Kiani, stated that the ruling demonstrates that even large companies must respect the intellectual property rights of inventors. Apple has not yet responded to requests for comments on the matter. In October, the US International Trade Commission ruled in favor of Masimo, stating that Apple had violated some patent rights and imposing restrictions on imports and sales. However, the implementation of this order was temporarily paused during the appeal. Apple currently holds the dominant position in the global smartphone market, surpassing Samsung for the first time in 12 years. Last year, Apple accounted for over 20% of all shipped phones, according to data from the International Data Corporation.