Apple Watch Ban Temporarily Halted

Apple's efforts to halt a government-imposed ban on its newest Apple Watch models has bore fruit, at least temporarily.

A ban on imports and sales of Apple Watches that use technology for reading blood-oxygen levels went into effect Tuesday. Apple promptly filed an appeal and asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to halt the ban. The court granted the request Wednesday.

The ban had impacted the company's newest Apple Watches, including the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2.

Apple has included the pulse oximeter feature in its watches starting with its Apple Watch Series 6 released in 2020. But the International Trade Commission (ITC) ruled in October that Apple infringed two patents owned by Masimo.

Masimo shares were down 5.49% ($6.62) to $114 at press time Wednesday.

The ITC is expected to respond to the motion to stay pending appeal by January 10. Any responses in support of the appeal must be filed by January 15. Meanwhile, the Exclusion Order Enforcement Branch of U.S. Customs and Border Protection is expected to decide on January 12 whether a redesigned version of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 falls outside the scope of the ITC's orders.

Marie Thibault, a medtech analyst at BTIG, wrote in a report Wednesday that there likely won't be a settlement before the court's decision on the motion for a stay pending appeal and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection decision on a redesign.