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Masimo’s lawsuit challenging U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s approval of Apple’s redesigned Apple Watch is over: the ITC found on April 17, 2026, that importing the redesign did not violate the existing exclusion order, and Masimo and Customs dismissed their separate court case on April 28. That result did not undo the original ITC infringement ruling, which the Federal Circuit affirmed in March 2026.

Why did Masimo sue U.S. Customs over Apple Watch blood oxygen?

Masimo challenged Customs’ August 1, 2025 ruling that allowed importation of a redesigned Apple Watch. In a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on August 20, Masimo alleged, among other things, that the agency violated the Administrative Procedure Act in connection with Apple’s ex parte proceeding before Customs. Masimo also sought temporary and preliminary injunctive relief.

The lawsuit challenged Customs’ decision-making process and its import ruling. It was separate from the ITC proceeding that addressed whether the redesigned watch violated the existing exclusion order.

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What happened to the Customs lawsuit?

  1. August 1, 2025: Customs’ Exclusion Order Enforcement Branch issued its ruling allowing importation of a redesigned Apple Watch.
  2. August 20, 2025: Masimo filed its challenge in the District of Columbia and sought injunctive relief.
  3. November 14, 2025: The ITC instituted a combined enforcement and modification proceeding after Masimo asked the Commission to clarify or modify its order to cover the redesign.
  4. April 17, 2026: The ITC issued its final determination that importing the redesigned watch did not violate the limited exclusion order.
  5. April 28, 2026: Masimo and Customs agreed to dismiss their court case. Bloomberg Law reported that the court entered a minutes order that day and that the dismissal resolved all claims and counterclaims.

Can Apple still sell Apple Watches with blood oxygen in the U.S.?

The ITC’s April 17, 2026 determination was specific: it found that importing the redesigned watch at issue did not violate the existing limited exclusion order. It was not a ruling that every Apple Watch with blood-oxygen functionality, in every configuration, is free of legal restrictions. The original order remains important, and other litigation between the companies is separate.

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The original ITC case concerned Apple Watch models with light-based pulse oximetry functionality. The Commission issued a limited exclusion order concerning infringing watches, and the Federal Circuit affirmed that original determination on March 19, 2026. The Federal Circuit’s decision did not decide whether the later redesign violated the order; the ITC addressed that enforcement question in April.

How do the original ruling and redesign decision differ?

Issue Original ITC case Redesign enforcement proceeding
Product considered Apple Watch models with light-based pulse oximetry functionality alleged to infringe Masimo patents The redesigned watch covered by Customs’ August 1, 2025 import ruling
Decision-maker and question The ITC decided the infringement case; the Federal Circuit reviewed that determination The ITC considered whether importing the redesign violated the existing exclusion order
Outcome The ITC issued a limited exclusion order concerning infringing watches; the Federal Circuit affirmed the original determination on March 19, 2026 The ITC found on April 17, 2026, that importation of the redesign did not violate the order

Does the dismissal end the Masimo–Apple dispute?

No. The April dismissal closed the lawsuit between Masimo and Customs over Customs’ approval of the redesign. It did not erase the original ITC order or resolve every dispute between Masimo and Apple. In particular, a separate patent case in California produced a different result: a jury returned a $634 million verdict in November 2025, and a July 20, 2026 final judgment awarded $634,313,913 on the patent claims. That award was not damages in the Customs lawsuit.

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