In a recent development, the US Court of Appeals has granted Apple a temporary pause on the import and sales ban imposed on the Apple Watch.
The ban came into effect just one day ago but has now been temporarily halted while the court considers a more extended pause.
As a result, Apple will resume sales of the affected watches, namely the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2, both in Apple Stores starting today and on Apple.com by 3 PM ET / 12 PM PT tomorrow, December 28th.
According to the Verge, this decision follows Apple’s request to suspend the bans, at least until the US Customs can evaluate whether the adjustments made to the Apple Watch are sufficient to address the patent dispute that led to the ban.
The US Customs is expected to provide its decision on January 12th.
The initial ban was a consequence of a patent dispute with medical device maker Masimo. The US International Trade Commission had determined that Apple infringed on Masimo’s patents, leading to the sales ban.
While the ban is in effect, other retailers are permitted to continue selling their existing Apple Watch stock, but Apple itself is restricted from selling the affected models or introducing new watches into the country.
The court’s current order allows Apple a temporary reprieve, enabling the company to continue selling the impacted Apple Watches while the court considers a more extended halt on the import and sales ban.
Apple has specifically requested that the bans remain paused until the appeals court can issue a comprehensive ruling on the patent infringement case, a decision that may take several more weeks.
As the legal proceedings unfold, this development provides a brief resumption for Apple in the ongoing patent dispute, offering some relief for the tech giant as it navigates the intricacies of intellectual property conflicts.
