(Washington) A US federal appeals court on Wednesday suspended the ban on the sale in the United States of several models of Apple’s connected watch, accused of having violated the patents of a medical device manufacturer.
“We are delighted to make the full range of Apple Watches available to customers in time for the New Year,” said an Apple spokesperson in an email sent to AFP.
“Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2, including blood oxygen monitoring, will be available again in U.S. Apple Stores starting today,” a- he added.
They will be available online on the brand’s website “starting tomorrow at 12 p.m. (3 p.m. Eastern Time),” he said.
The ban came into effect on Tuesday, with Joe Biden’s administration choosing not to veto a decision by the US International Trade Commission (ITC).
The ITC recommended on October 27 to ban several models of the Apple Watch in the United States, the Apple brand being accused by the medical device manufacturer Masimo of copying its oxygen level detection technologies in the blood.
But Apple believed that the American body was wrong, saying at the time that its decision should be overturned and that it was ready to take legal action.
Apple announced on Tuesday that it had filed an appeal with a federal court.
It decided on Wednesday that the ban would not be applied until the appeal procedure was completed.
Contacted by AFP, Masimo did not wish to comment on this development.
Apple had announced on December 18 the suspension of the sale in the United States of Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2, in order to “respect the decision (of the ITC) if it were to be confirmed”, had explained to the AFP a spokesperson for the group.
These watches were no longer available since December 21 on its website and since December 24 in stores.
