The U.S. government accepted the decision of the International Trade Commission (ITC) to ban the import of some Apple Watch models in connection with a patent infringement dispute.
On the 26th (local time), the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced, “After careful consideration, we have decided not to overturn the ITC decision, and accordingly, the ITC decision has been finalized.”
Last October, the ITC decided to ban the import of Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2, saying they infringed on two patents, including those related to Masimosa’s medical technology, the blood oxygen saturation sensor.
Apple has been including this feature since Apple Watch Series 6 in 2020. The decision to ban the import of only these two models released last September is because new models are released every year and previous models are discontinued.
Since the Apple Watch is produced in China and other countries, sales of the model in the U.S. have been halted due to this decision to ban imports.
Even though they are not sold within the United States, sales of these products continue outside the United States, including Korea. In the U.S., sales at Amazon and Best Buy are expected to continue temporarily until stocks run out.
Apple Watch Series 9. NewsisUSTR, a government agency directly under the White House, reviewed the ITC decision for two months under the authority of the President under Article 337 of the U.S. Trade Act and finalized the ITC decision without exercising its veto power. The U.S. administration can veto the ITC decision if it determines it is against its national interests.
Apple submitted an appeal to the Federal Appeals Court on this day. Apple responded in a statement, saying, “We strongly oppose the ITC’s decision and the subsequent decision to ban sales.”
According to documents submitted to the court, Apple argued that it would suffer irreparable harm if the import ban was maintained as its two models are the most popular models, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported.
At the same time, the court asked the court to suspend the ITC’s decision to ban imports until U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) determines whether the redesigned version of the Apple Watch infringes Masimosa’s patents. CBP’s decision is expected to be made on the 12th of next month.
Hyewon Lee, Donga.com
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.