A federal jury in Delaware has awarded Apple $250, finding that Masimo's original smartwatch designs infringed on Apple's design patents. While the victory marks a win for Apple, it's a limited one, as the jury's decision primarily impacts older Masimo products. The long-running legal battle between the two tech giants intensified last Christmas when an import ban was imposed on certain models. The appeal of this ban is currently pending.
What Apple’s legal team said
Apple's legal team argued that Masimo had copied the Apple Watch's design and functionality, focusing on the device's aesthetic appeal rather than its innovative pulse oximetry technology. The jury agreed, finding infringement in the original designs of Masimo's W1, Freedom, and health module, as well as its charger. According to Bloomberg Law, “We’re not here for the money,” Apple attorney John Desmarais of Desmarais LLP told jurors during his closing arguments. “We want them to stop copying our design” and features. He lambasted Masimo for focusing on its innovations in pulse oximetry, the blood-oxygen measurement feature that the company is best known for developing.
However, the jury's decision primarily affects older Masimo products, limiting Apple's ability to block the company's current offerings. Masimo emphasized this point, highlighting that the infringement relates to discontinued devices rather than their current lineup.
The original design for Masimo’s W1, Freedom, and health module infringed US Patent No. D883,279, according to a verdict issued in the US District Court for the District of Delaware. The jury reportedly rejected Masimo’s arguments for invalidating the ‘279 patent. Jurors also found the original design for Masimo’s charger infringed US Patent No. D735,131. The infringement was intentional, jurors found.