Apple refused to sell its latest smart watch, the Apple Watch, in the United States, after a conflict arose related to the patent for the function that measures the level of oxygen in the blood.
Now CNBC writes that the company will try to circumvent the sales bloc by removing the blood oxygen function from the watches. Watches sold in the US will be adjusted. When the user taps the blood oxygen icon on a modified watch, the screen will display a notification directing the user to an explanation on Apple's website.
In a patent dispute
The watches in question are the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2, and removing the functionality should enable the company to sell the watches in the US despite the fact that Apple has been in a dispute with medical equipment company Masimo over infringement. Patent laws in recent months.
In October, the US International Trade Commission (ITC) decided that Apple's blood oxygen sensors infringed Masimo's patents.
The watches were temporarily banned in the US in December before Apple got a temporary lift. On Wednesday, the Court of Appeal overturned a temporary injunction that had prevented the ban from taking effect. The court did not overturn the ITC's decision, which is currently under appeal.
It is unusual for Apple to remove features from already released products. However, it should not have any retroactive effect on previously purchased Apple Watch devices that include the Blood Oxygen feature.
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