Apple Defeats AliveCor's Bid to Block U.S. Watch Imports

Apple has won a significant legal victory against medical device maker AliveCor. Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upheld the invalidity of patents that could have blocked Apple Watch imports. This ruling, reported by Reuters, could bring an end to a years-long dispute that began when AliveCor accused Apple of infringing its heart-monitoring technology— a case that once threatened the availability of certain Apple Watch models in the U.S.The case stems from AliveCor's 2021 complaint to the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), where it claimed Apple violated three patents tied to its KardiaBand, an Apple Watch accessory designed to monitor heart rates, detect irregularities, and perform electrocardiograms (ECGs) to spot conditions like atrial fibrillation. AliveCor argued that Apple copied this technology starting with the Series 4 Apple Watch and later sabotaged KardiaBand's functionality by altering iOS compatibility, effectively pushing AliveCor out of the market. The company sought an import ban on infringing Apple Watches as a remedy.In 2022, the U.S. Patent Office's Patent Trial and Appeal Board, at Apple's request, invalidated AliveCor's patents, ruling them unpatentable due to prior art. Shortly after, the ITC found that Apple had infringed the patents but paused any import ban pending the Federal Circuit's review, noting that a ban would only apply if the patents were upheld. The appeals court's decision on Friday affirmed the Patent Board's findings, agreeing with Apple that the patents—U.S. Patent Nos. 9,572,499, 10,595,731, and 10,638,941—were obvious in light of existing technology and thus invalid. This effectively dismisses the ITC case.Continue ReadingSpotlight Deal:Apple Watch Series 10 On Sale for $299! [Lowest Price Ever]Share Article:Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Reddit, EmailFollow iClarified:Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Newsletter, App Store, YouTube

Mar 8, 2025 - 01:16

Apple Defeats AliveCor's Bid to Block U.S. Watch Imports

Apple has won a significant legal victory against medical device maker AliveCor. Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upheld the invalidity of patents that could have blocked Apple Watch imports. This ruling, reported by Reuters, could bring an end to a years-long dispute that began when AliveCor accused Apple of infringing its heart-monitoring technology— a case that once threatened the availability of certain Apple Watch models in the U.S.

The case stems from AliveCor's 2021 complaint to the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), where it claimed Apple violated three patents tied to its KardiaBand, an Apple Watch accessory designed to monitor heart rates, detect irregularities, and perform electrocardiograms (ECGs) to spot conditions like atrial fibrillation. AliveCor argued that Apple copied this technology starting with the Series 4 Apple Watch and later sabotaged KardiaBand's functionality by altering iOS compatibility, effectively pushing AliveCor out of the market. The company sought an import ban on infringing Apple Watches as a remedy.

In 2022, the U.S. Patent Office's Patent Trial and Appeal Board, at Apple's request, invalidated AliveCor's patents, ruling them unpatentable due to prior art. Shortly after, the ITC found that Apple had infringed the patents but paused any import ban pending the Federal Circuit's review, noting that a ban would only apply if the patents were upheld. The appeals court's decision on Friday affirmed the Patent Board's findings, agreeing with Apple that the patents—U.S. Patent Nos. 9,572,499, 10,595,731, and 10,638,941—were obvious in light of existing technology and thus invalid. This effectively dismisses the ITC case.

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