Oliver Haslam on February 22, 2023, 3:03 pm

Apple Watch Import Ban Still Possible After Biden Allows ECG Patent Ruling To Stand

Apple continues to face a possible Apple Watch import ban after the Biden administration decided to allow a U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) decision on a patent infringement to stand.

It’s said that the Apple Watch infringes upon a patent owned by medical device company AliveCor.

That argument will now go to court, after the administration decided against using its veto powers to prevent that from happening. While it’s unlikely that an Apple Watch import ban will be implemented, it is something that’s on the table if things ultimately go against Apple.

AliveCor shared a press release in which it agrees with the decision and says that the decision is about more than its own patents — instead, it’s about sending a message.

“We applaud President Biden for upholding the ITC’s ruling and holding Apple accountable for infringing the patents that underpin our industry-leading ECG technology,” said Priya Abani, CEO of AliveCor. “This decision goes beyond AliveCor and sends a clear message to innovators that the U.S. will protect patents to build and scale new technologies that benefit consumers.”

AliveCor says that the Apple Watch uses ECG features that infringe upon its patents, although Apple predictably disagrees with that assertion. Apple has also sued AliveCor for patent infringement of its own, suggesting that this is a situation that could rumble on for some time.