Apple wins symbolic $250 in patent trial for Masimo Watch

A federal jury ruled Friday that Masimo’s smartwatches infringed on Apple Watch patents, but awarded Apple only $250 in damages, which is the minimum legal amount Apple could seek while it pursues a jury trial rather than a lawsuit over the alleged infringements by Masimo.

Masimo’s discontinued W1 Freedom smartwatch

According to Bloomberg Lawjurors found that the original design of Masimo’s W1 Freedom and Health module, plus its charger, intentionally infringed on Apple’s design patents. However, Masimo said the ruling only applied to a discontinued module and charger. The distinction undermines Apple’s claim of irreparable harm, so although the company won damages, the decision effectively took away Apple’s chance to block Masimo’s current products.

“Apple primarily sought an injunction against Masimo’s current products, and the jury’s verdict is a victory for Masimo in that regard,” a Masimo spokesperson said in a statement.

The lawsuit came about due to Apple’s countersuit in its ongoing legal battle with Masimo, which previously won an import ban on certain Apple Watch models over pulse oximetry patents. The breach forced Apple to disable blood oxygen monitoring features in Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 models sold in the US. The feature is also missing in the American version of the Apple Watch Series 10. Outside the country, the Apple Watches remain fully functional.

During the trial, Apple attorney John Desmarais claimed that monetary compensation was not the company’s goal, telling jurors, “We’re not here for the money. We want them to stop copying our design.”

An Apple spokesperson defended the company’s position, saying, “Teams at Apple have spent years developing Apple Watch,” while “Masimo took shortcuts and launched a device that copies Apple Watch and infringes on our intellectual property.”