Apple has filed a new countersuit against medical technology company Masimo, claiming that its new W1 line infringes on Apple Watch patents. The suit comes amid an ongoing battle between the two companies after Masimo filed its own suit in 2020.
This latest lawsuit surrounds a new line of products that Apple claims is the result of Masimo studying its intellectual property (IP) during the initial legal battle. It's also said that a Masimo spinoff managed to get its hands on confidential Apple Watch information.
You sue, I sue
The whole sordid affair began in 2020 when Masimo filed a suit that claimed Apple stole away employees and infringed upon its patents relating to light sensors for the monitoring of heart rates and blood oxygen levels. That happened after the pair met about putting Masimo's tech into an Apple Watch in 2013 — before the first Apple Watch went on sale.
Reuters also notes that a second complaint was filed at the U.S. International Trade Commission last year, with Masimo saying that Apple Watch imports violate its patent rights. Those two lawsuits are still ongoing.
Now, Apple has filed a suit of its own. The Apple Watch maker believes that Masimo used its own lawsuits as a way to get a peek at Apple's own IP, with the result being the W1 line of smartwatches that it also claims infringe on its patents.
Confused yet?
"Masimo, while trying to block importation or sale of Apple Watch, was also secretly copying it," Apple said, while Masimo continues to claim that it has "never been in the consumer wearables business."
This latest Apple Watch furore comes just weeks after Apple released three new models. The updated Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch Series 8 are both refreshes of existing wearables, but Apple's new best Apple Watch is all-new. The 49mm Apple Watch Ultra is the biggest yet and packs specialist features designed for adventurers and watch fans alike.
