Apple is now allowed to resume selling the Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 in the United States (U.S) after it was banned from doing so earlier this month.
The Verge reports that sales have resumed just hours after a federal appeals court temporarily halted a ban on the sales and import of both devices.
Apple had been prohibited from selling these products in the U.S following the U.S International Trade Commission’s determination that the company had infringed on patents owned by the medical device manufacturer Masimo.
Before the ban took effect on 26 December, Apple preemptively removed the Series 9 and Ultra 2 from both its online and physical stores. The ban specifically targeted devices equipped with a blood oxygen saturation sensor, a feature Apple introduced with its flagship watches starting from the Series 6 in late 2020.
The appeals court granted Apple permission to temporarily continue selling its watches while awaiting a decision on proposed modifications aimed at addressing the patent concerns.
Apple’s teams have worked tirelessly over many years to develop technology that empowers users with industry-leading health, wellness and safety features and we are pleased the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has stayed the exclusion order while it considers our request to stay the order pending our full appeal.
Apple spokesperson, Nikki Rothberg.
The U.S Customs and Border Protection is set to make a ruling on these proposed changes by 12 January 2024. If the ruling is unfavourable, the court is contemplating whether to postpone the ban until it can adjudicate the patent dispute, potentially causing a significant delay in the enforcement of the ban.
