Apple is trying to avoid a US import ban on the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 caused by a patent dispute with California-based Masimo, Digital Trends reported.
A letter from Masimo to an appeals court judge dated Jan. 15 said the tech giant could avoid a recently imposed import ban on the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 by removing the blood oxygen measurement app from those watch models.
Masimo said US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has determined that Apple's rework is not covered by the International Trade Commission's (ITC) import ban on the two devices.
The company added that Apple has explained that its "redesigned Watch products definitively do not contain pulse oximetry functionality."
Masimo also praised Apple's decision to remove the tool from its smartwatches as a "positive step towards accountability".
"It is particularly important that one of the largest and most powerful companies in the world respects the intellectual property rights of smaller companies and complies with the ITC's orders when it is caught in violation," she added.
The watches were banned in the US late last year after the ITC ruled that the blood oxygen sensors infringed on patents belonging to Masimo. /BGNES
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