Masimo CEO Joe Kiani has signaled his interest in having friendly settlement talks with Apple to reach a resolution. It’s presumed that these discussions might revolve around licensing the health tech company’s patents, allowing Apple Watch sales to resume in the U.S. However, Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, has different ideas. He mentioned that he isn’t planning to license this technology and is more focused on pursuing other objectives, like the appeal process.
Tim Cook thinks that people will have other motives for buying an Apple Watch, aside from the oximeter feature.
In a chat with CNBC, CEO Tim Cook shared his stance on handling the Apple Watch ban. According to AppleInsider, Cook is leaning more towards the appeal process rather than engaging in settlement talks with Masimo. Reportedly, Masimo’s CEO invested around $100 million in the patent violation fight against Apple. Cook also expressed his belief that consumers will discover multiple reasons, beyond the oximeter feature, to upgrade to a new Apple Watch.
Currently, the newest Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 are being shipped with their blood oxygen monitoring turned off, thanks to a software update. This move aims to resume sales through various channels across the United States. There are reports suggesting that if Apple decides to settle, they might have to shell out a significant amount to Masimo. Despite that, previous analyses indicate that settling might be the simpler choice.
Masimo has been through two patent infringement battles and emerged victorious in both. In one instance, a company later sealed a licensing deal, bringing in a whopping $1 billion for Masimo. If the ban on Apple Watch continues, the company can shift its marketing focus to other countries where Masimo’s patents don’t apply.
On the flip side, the U.S. is a crucial market for Apple. So, at least for now, CEO Tim Cook is leaning towards investing ample time in court efforts to overturn the initial decision.