Apple has successfully fended off an attempt to block U.S. imports of its smartwatches, as a federal appeals court ruled in its favor, invalidating heart-rate monitoring patents held by medical device company AliveCor.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit dismissed AliveCor’s claims that Apple had infringed on its technology, effectively overturning a prior trade tribunal’s decision that had found Apple in violation of AliveCor’s patents. This ruling puts an end to AliveCor’s bid for an import ban on Apple Watches in the U.S.
AliveCor, known for its KardiaBand accessory that performs electrocardiograms and detects irregular heart rhythms, had accused Apple of integrating similar technology into its smartwatches, starting with the Series 4. The company also claimed Apple deliberately made its iOS operating system incompatible with KardiaBand, effectively pushing it out of the market.
Apple countered the allegations by successfully petitioning the U.S. Patent Office’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board to invalidate the patents in 2022. While the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) had initially determined that AliveCor’s claims could justify an import ban, the restriction was paused while the appeals court reviewed the case. With Friday’s ruling, the legal battle appears to have swung definitively in Apple’s favor.
AliveCor expressed disappointment over the decision and is considering further legal action. Meanwhile, Apple emphasized its commitment to developing advanced health-monitoring features for its devices.
This isn’t the first time Apple has faced an import ban threat. In 2023, the company was temporarily blocked from selling certain Apple Watch models due to a patent dispute with medical technology firm Masimo over blood-oxygen monitoring technology. Apple appealed that decision and resumed sales after modifying the affected devices.
