Masimo Sues CBP Over Apple Watch Blood Oxygen Restoration

Masimo filed a federal lawsuit this week challenging a U.S. Customs and Border Protection decision that allowed Apple to restore blood oxygen monitoring on certain Apple Watch models, a move that Apple said was enabled by a recent CBP ruling. The medical-technology company argues that CBP exceeded its authority and reversed its own ruling without providing Masimo notice, and it seeks temporary and preliminary relief to block the agency’s decision while the dispute continues. The case adds another chapter to a years-long patent fight between Masimo and Apple over pulse oximetry technology.

The legal action was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia as Masimo contends that CBP’s August 1 decision reversed a previous stance on imports of Apple Watches with pulse oximetry capabilities without giving Masimo a hearing or opportunity to respond. Masimo only learned of the reversal after Apple publicly announced last week that it would reintroduce the feature through two software updates. In its filing, Masimo argues that the agency’s move effectively creates a loophole that undermines a prior International Trade Commission exclusion order that had blocked...