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Apple Sues Masimo, Says Medical Device Company Copied Apple Watch

The latest court battle comes after Masimo fought Apple for the past two years over its use of a blood oxygen censor.

Ian Sherr Contributor and Former Editor at Large / News
Ian Sherr (he/him/his) grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, so he's always had a connection to the tech world. As an editor at large at CNET, he wrote about Apple, Microsoft, VR, video games and internet troubles. Aside from writing, he tinkers with tech at home, is a longtime fencer -- the kind with swords -- and began woodworking during the pandemic.
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Apple Watch Series 8

The Apple Watch is one of Apple's most popular products.

 CNET

Apple  filed a lawsuit against medical tech company Masimo in federal court in Delaware on Thursday, accusing the company of "copying" its Apple Watch.

The tech giant said in its lawsuit, which was earlier reported by Bloomberg and Reuters, that Masimo copied many of its designs and patents, including health-monitoring technology, case design and chargers. 

Masimo largely sells devices for hospitals to manage patient care, and earlier this year it bought Sound United, a holding company whose brands include Denon and Polk Audio. In August, Masimo also announced its release of a health watch, the W1, which includes many similar health sensors the Apple Watch has.

An Apple spokesperson said in a statement that it hoped the suit would "protect the innovations we advance on behalf of our customers." 

A Masimo spokesperson said in a statement that Apple's suit was an effort to "divert attention from the litigations brought by Masimo," and accused Apple of intellectual property theft "instead of competing fairly." 

Masimo sued Apple in 2020, claiming the iPhone maker had stolen its trade secrets and infringed its patents, including for measuring heart rate and blood-oxygen levels. Last year, it also asked the US government to halt imports of Apple Watches that violate its patents.

Apple has a long history of facing lawsuits over its technology. Most recently, those suits included a series of patent battles with smartphone rivals Samsung and, separately, Nokia . Apple settled with Samsung in 2018 and Nokia in 2017.