ITC Wants Apple Ban Reinstated, Calls Apple's Arguments 'Weak And Unconvincing'

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has opposed Apple Inc. AAPL’s plea to put on hold an import ban on certain Apple Watch models, a week after a U.S. appeals court offered temporary relief to the company during the appeal period.

What Happened: The ITC, as Bloomberg Law reported, has described Apple’s arguments as “weak and unconvincing”, stating that they “amount to little more than an indisputably adjudicated infringer requesting permission to continue infringing the asserted patents."

The commission also countered Apple's arguments that the ban would cause it "irreparable harm," stating that it is "speculative." It maintained that there was "no legal error" in its decision made in October 2023.

Despite the ITC’s ruling that Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 models infringed on patents held by medical-device manufacturer Masimo, Apple recommenced sales of these models on Dec. 27, following temporary relief from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

The ITC’s rebuttal to Apple’s stay motion was lodged on Wednesday. The temporary stay granted by the Federal Circuit will remain until the appeals court delivers its verdict.

Why It Matters: The ongoing patent dispute with Masimo Corporation MASI, which led to an import ban on certain Apple smartwatches, was briefly suspended by a US appeals court in December 2023, granting Apple a temporary reprieve.

The contention originated from allegations of employee poaching and theft of pulse oximetry technology by Apple and its subsequent integration into Apple Watches.

Meanwhile, Apple has been strategically working to evade the ban while appealing the patent-infringement ruling. Its plans include developing new software to facilitate the sale of non-infringing versions of the devices as early as mid-January while the appeal against the ITC decision is still in progress.

Check out more of Benzinga's Consumer Tech coverage by following this link.

Read Next: Microsoft’s AI Helps Scientists Screen 32M Candidates In 80 Hours And Zero In On A Potential New Battery

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Photo via Shutterstock