Apple stated its intent to appeal a U.S. import ban on its latest smartwatch models following a ruling on patent infringements. The Biden administration decided not to veto the ruling, leading to the ban on Apple’s smartwatch models, such as the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2. The ban is a result of a complaint filed by Masimo Corp, accusing Apple of infringing on patented technology for detecting blood-oxygen levels. The United States International Trade Commission (ITC) decided in October 2023 to enforce the ban. Apple is contesting the decision and filed an appeal in a U.S. federal court. However, the company already pulled the affected products from its online store and halted sales in retail locations just before the holiday season. Masimo claims that it invented the technology and accuses Apple of poaching its employees to gain access to the knowledge. Apple has been gradually adding fitness and health features to its Apple Watch, which dominates the smartwatch market. Despite the ban, Apple is determined to bring back the affected smartwatch models to customers in the U.S.