Apple has found itself in a very unpleasant situation with the Watch, which could lead to the fact that the Apple Watch is not allowed to be imported into the US at all. This time, the blame must be found in the corridors of the Apple company itself, because the use of patents for the electrocardiogram function of the Apple Watch has not been coordinated with the medical equipment manufacturer AliveCor.
Most likely, Apple relied a lot on the fact that US President Joe Biden would intervene so that the Apple Watch could still be distributed in the US without problems, but this has not happened. Biden has not objected to the United States’ International Trade Commission, which could actually prevent the import and sale of the Apple Watch in the United States in the future.
A similar situation has already existed in 2013, when Apple faced patents owned by Samsung, which could become an obstacle to selling iPhone and iPad devices in the US. At that time, President Barack Obama intervened, thus saving Apple, but Biden has not objected to the US Federal Trade Commission’s decision.
Apple has nothing to fear for now though, the Apple Watch Series 4 up to the Apple Watch Ultra isn’t going anywhere, as AliveCor has yet to prove that the electrocardiogram features can be patented. At this point, there is a belief that AliveCor will not be able to trick the US Patent Office.
