Apple Loses $634 Million Masimo Patent Case
After Apple lost the $634 million Masimo patent case, its request for a new hearing was rejected. Apple is preparing to appeal.
Apple has suffered a serious blow in its years-long legal effort with the medical technology company Masimo. A California federal court rejected Apple’s application to overturn its $634 million patent infringement verdict and request a new trial.
In the case concluded in November 2025, the panel ruled that the heart rate monitoring features of Apple Watch violated Masimo’s patent rights. The technology giant failed to get any results from its legal attempts to reverse the decision, and this huge compensation amount became absolute before the judiciary.
- A US federal judge rejected Apple’s request to vacate the $634 million damages award.
- The court ruled that Apple Watch was a patient monitoring device within Masimo’s patent description.
- Apple was unsuccessful in its objections to the panel’s decision and expert testimony.
- Apple management announced that it would appeal to continue the case.
Legal Process Examined in Detail
The process that Masimo started at the beginning of 2020 focused on blood oxygen measurement and pulse monitoring technologies in Apple Watch models. The years-long conflict has occupied the agenda of the technology world with both the import bans imposed by the ITC and the patent case in California.
Although Apple argued that its products should not be considered as medical devices, the court did not accept this opinion.
Judge James V. Selna confirmed that Apple’s works met the definition of “patient monitoring device” within the scope of the patent.
New Hearing Request Not Accepted
Apple’s lawyers cited errors in the committee’s instructions and the exclusion of an expert witness as reasons for the retrial of the case. However, Judge Selna opined that there was no irregularity in the court process that would change the rejection decision. Thus, the patent infringement decision, which was very costly for Apple, was passed through judicial control.
The Appeal Process Will Continue
In its statement regarding the decision, Apple criticized Masimo’s activities and argued that the patent at the basis of the case had no longer been novel.
The company stated that they would initiate the appeal process to seek their legal rights, arguing that the technology in question is a historical method dating back decades. Masimo, on the other hand, remains determined to preserve its own technology.
The steps the technology giant will take against this high compensation payment are being closely followed in the industry.
This complex legal process between Apple and Masimo again determines the finality of the classification of wearable technology devices as medical devices. How do you think the court’s latest decision will resonate in the technology world and affect other health-enabled devices? You can share your intentions with us in the comments section.
