Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 sales paused before Christmas over patent dispute

Apple has announced that it will temporarily halt the sale of two of its latest Apple Watches models in the U.S. The decision is based on a dispute regarding the intellectual property rights of the Blood Oxygen feature used in these watches.

U.S International Trade Commission had mandated two orders on October 26 that would limit Apple’s rights to sell products equipped with the Blood Oxygen feature following the intellectual property disagreement with Masimo, a medical technologies company.

Though the cessation of sales, which applies to the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2, does not take immediate effect, online sales will be halted from 3 p.m. Thursday while in-store sales will stop after Sunday.

Although ITC policy gives the White House until December 25 to review these restrictions, Apple has chosen to instate this sales pause earlier. This is to ensure they can remain in compliance with the order in the event that the ITC ruling is upheld.

If the decision is upheld, one of the ITC orders will restrict Apple and its affiliates from importing watches equipped with the Blood Oxygen feature, along with materials used for this feature, according to the FTC document. The second order from the ITC issues a cease and desist directive, instructing Apple to halt sales of products utilizing the Blood Oxygen feature.

If the ITC’s order stands, Apple has said it plans to “take all measures” to resume the sales of both watches as soon as possible.

According to Apple, individuals who have already purchased either of the two Apple Watches in question will not experience any issues with their product. Furthermore, the availability of these models remains unchanged outside of the U.S.

Apple’s wearables, home, and accessories division ranks as the company’s third-largest revenue generator, contributing $9.3 billion in the company’s last quarter.

In a statement, Apple wrote that the company “strongly disagrees with the order and is pursuing a range of legal and technical options to ensure that Apple Watch is available to customers.”

Masimo said that the ITC ruling shows that “even the world’s most powerful company must abide by the law” in a statement.