Apple vs. Masimo: A Battle of Innovation and Infringement

Apple successfully argued that early designs of Masimo's smartwatches infringed its design patents. The jury awarded minimal damages but ruled Masimo's current watches didn't violate Apple's patents. Apple seeks an injunction against Masimo, while Masimo appreciates the verdict favoring them on most issues. The dispute involves allegations of employee poaching and technology theft.

In a significant legal battle, tech giant Apple convinced a federal jury that earlier models of health tech firm Masimo's smartwatches infringed upon its design patents. The dispute is part of a larger intellectual property conflict between the two companies, with the jury asserting that Masimo's previous W1 and Freedom watch designs had willfully violated Apple's smartwatch patents.

Despite being valued at approximately $3.5 trillion, Apple was awarded a mere $250 in damages, the minimum statutory amount for infringement in the U.S. Apple insisted that its primary goal was to secure an injunction against the sale of Masimo's current smartwatch products following the infringement ruling.

The jury found that Masimo's latest watch models did not infringe upon Apple patents, a verdict Masimo hailed as a victory. Apple's attempts to block imports of its infringing watch series were influenced by complaints that Masimo filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission. The legal saga underscores ongoing allegations of poaching and intellectual property theft between the two firms.

(With inputs from agencies.)