Masimo Corp. MASI CEO Joe Kiani has expressed his willingness to settle the ongoing rift with Apple Inc. AAPL over patent infringements related to the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Apple Watch Series 9.
What Happened: In an interview with Bloomberg TV, Kiani stated that he was open to a settlement with Apple but maintained that the tech giant has not yet sought one. The Masimo CEO stated that a resolution would require effort from both parties.
He said, “They haven’t called,” adding, “It takes two to tango.”
Earlier this year, the International Trade Commission ITC ruled that the Apple Watch violated two Masimo patents related to blood-oxygen sensing. Consequently, an import ban on the Ultra 2 and Series 9 models of Apple Watch is poised to come into effect on Dec. 25.
However, the ban only applies to Apple’s retail channels, allowing third-party resellers like Best Buy to continue offering the products.
Kiani accused Apple of deliberately infringing on Masimo’s intellectual property and hiring over 20 of his engineers to work on similar technologies. “I am glad the world can now see we are the true inventors and creators of these technologies.”
He stated that any settlement talks would necessitate an “honest dialogue” and an apology from Apple.
Why It Matters: Apple has contested the ITC ruling, calling it erroneous, and has announced plans to appeal. The company has also reportedly been preparing for the ban, stating its intention to remove the affected devices from its e-commerce site and physical retail stores starting Christmas Eve.
Earlier this week, it was reported that the White House has been closely monitoring the Apple Watch case. The Potential ban on most Apple Watch sales in the U.S. has the Biden administration on high alert.
It has also been reported that Following the ITC’s ruling, Apple decided to suspend the sale of its latest smartwatch models, which could cost the company up to $400 million. Apple has been hustling to save its $17 billion smartwatch enterprise from the imminent ban.
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This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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