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Apple vs. Masimo: A Battle of Innovation and Disruption
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Apple vs. Masimo: A Battle of Innovation and Disruption

In a landmark legal battle, tech giant Apple has convinced a federal jury that medical technology company Masimo’s previous smartwatch models infringed on its design patents. The dispute is part of a larger intellectual property dispute between the two companies, with the jury saying that Masimo’s previous W1 and Freedom watch models willfully infringed on Apple’s smartwatch patents.

Despite being valued at around $3.5 trillion, Apple received only $250 in damages, the legal minimum for infringement in the U.S. Apple insisted that its primary goal was to secure an injunction against the sale of the products current Masimo smartwatches following the infringement decision.

The jury found that Masimo’s latest watch designs did not infringe Apple’s patents, a verdict that Masimo hailed as a victory. Apple’s attempts to block imports of its infringing watch series were influenced by complaints that Masimo filed with the US International Trade Commission. The legal saga highlights ongoing allegations of poaching and intellectual property theft between the two firms.

(With contributions from agencies.)