Why was the Apple Watch not banned in Canada?

Good news for U.S. fans of the Apple watch. As of today, the import ban on the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 in the United States has been temporarily paused. This pause was granted by a federal appeals court in Washington D.C., allowing Apple to resume sales of these models in the U.S. The International Trade Commission (ITC) has until January 10 to respond to Apple’s motion for a longer-term pause on the ban during the appeals process. This development follows a patent dispute with Masimo over the blood oxygen sensor technology in the Apple Watches.

The Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 were briefly banned from sale in the U.S. due to a legal dispute with Masimo, a medical technology company. Masimo had accused Apple of infringing on patents related to light-based blood oxygen monitoring. This technology is present in Apple’s smartwatches starting from the Series 6 model. The United States International Trade Commission (ITC) initially sided with Masimo and ordered a ban on the sale of these models.

However, Apple filed an emergency request with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to halt this order, and the court granted a temporary pause on the ban. Apple stated that it would return the full Apple Watch lineup to customers, including the Series 9 and Ultra 2 models with the blood oxygen feature. The company also mentioned working on a range of legal and technical options to ensure the continued availability of the Apple Watch in the U.S. market.

The ban did not affect the Apple Watch SE, a less-expensive model that does not include the pulse oximeter feature. Watches sold before the ban were also not affected. Despite the legal dispute, Apple’s wearables, home, and accessory business, including the Apple Watch, continued to generate significant revenue​​​​.

But why was the Apple Watch not banned in Canada?

The ban on Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 in the United States, due to a patent infringement dispute with Masimo over blood oxygen sensing technology, did not extend to Canada. The ban was specific to the U.S. market, and during this period, these models of the Apple Watch continued to be available for purchase in Canada. The U.S. Court of Appeals temporarily lifted this ban later, allowing sales in the U.S. again, but this was a situation unique to the U.S. market and did not impact Canadian sales​​.