Jury Awards Masimo $634 Million in Apple Patent Case

A federal jury in California ruled on Friday that Apple must pay medical technology company Masimo $634 million for infringing a patent related to blood oxygen monitoring technology used in the Apple Watch.

The verdict, delivered in Santa Ana federal court, found that features in the Apple Watch, including workout mode and heart rate notifications, violated Masimo's patent on pulse oximetry, a method that uses optical sensors to measure blood oxygen levels. A Masimo spokesperson confirmed the jury's decision, and the company issued a statement describing it as "a significant win in our ongoing efforts to protect our innovations and intellectual property, which is crucial to our ability to develop technology that benefits patients." Masimo, based in Irvine, California, emphasized its commitment to defending its intellectual property rights.

Apple disputed the ruling and plans to appeal. A company spokesperson stated that "the single patent in this case expired in 2022, and is specific to historic patient monitoring technology from decades ago." The tech giant has argued that the technology at issue predates modern smartwatch applications.

This California case is part of a broader,...