Why did Apple get $250 in its patent case against Masimo?

A federal jury ruled in favour of Apple , determining that earlier versions of Masimo’s smartwatches infringed on two of Apple ’s design patents. case, part of a larger intellectual property dispute between tech giant and health monitoring company, centred on Masimo’s W1 and Freedom models. jury awarded Apple a mere $250 in damages, statutory minimum for infringement in United States. Despite this minimal financial compensation, Apple 's legal team argued that primary goal of lawsuit was to secure an injunction against sales of Masimo’s smartwatches.

In a significant twist, jury found that Masimo’s current smartwatch models did not infringe on Apple’s patents, which Apple h claimed were copied. Masimo responded positively to jury’s verdict, noting that it favoured m on "nearly all issues" and emphasised that ruling pertained only to a "discontinued module and charger."

Masimo’s statement underscored that jury's decision was a win for m, particularly regarding injunction against ir current products, which Apple sought. Apple, in turn, expressed satisfaction with jury's ruling, asserting that it would help protect innovations developed for ir customers. ongoing conflict has roots in accusations from Masimo that Apple poached its employees and misappropriated its pulse oximetry technology during discussions of a potential partnership. Last year, Masimo succeeded in convincing U.S. International Tre Commission (ITC) to block imports of Apple’s Series 9 and Ultra 2 smartwatches, citing infringement of Masimo’s blood oxygen level reing technology.
Apple has since appealed that ITC decision and resumed sales of its smartwatches after removing contested technology. In a countersuit filed in 2022, Apple alleged that Masimo h copied features from its Apple Watch for use in its own devices, and claimed that Masimo was using litigation as a strategy to clear way for its products. Masimo characterised Apple's lawsuit as "retaliatory" and an attempt to circumvent ongoing litigation process.