Apple avoids import ban as court rules against AliveCor’s EKG patent claims

Efe Udin

March 8, 2025

Apple has won a legal battle against health tech firm AliveCor, preventing a potential import ban on its Apple Watch models in the United States. The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled in Apple’s favor, upholding a decision by the US Patent and Trademark Office’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) that deemed AliveCor’s EKG patents unpatentable.

AliveCor’s claim and ITC ruling

AliveCor filed a complaint with the International Trade Commission (ITC). They claimed Apple used their EKG patent technology in the Apple Watch without permission. At first, the ITC agreed with AliveCor and suggested banning the import of Apple Watches with the EKG feature. However, the situation changed later, and Apple was able to keep selling its watches.

Apple fought against AliveCor’s patents and took the case to the PTAB (a patent review board). The PTAB decided that AliveCor’s patents were not valid. Now, the Court of Appeals has agreed with that decision. This means the ITC (International Trade Commission) case against Apple is over, and Apple can keep selling its watches in the U.S. without any issues.

Apple’s legal battles over health features

This win is the second legal victory for Apple in a short time. Earlier, they had a dispute with Masimo, a medical tech company. That case led to a temporary ban on selling some Apple Watch models in the US. The ban was because of a patent issue with the SpO2 sensor, which measures blood oxygen. Apple fixed the problem and started selling the watches again.

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Now, with the AliveCor’s EKG patent case settled, Apple avoids another challenge for its smartwatches. This win helps Apple stay strong in the competitive smartwatch market. Health features, like heart and oxygen monitoring, are a big reason people buy these devices. The ruling is good news for Apple as it keeps their watches on the market without more legal trouble.

Official statements from both parties

“We thank the Federal Circuit for its careful consideration in this case. Apple’s teams have worked tirelessly over many years to develop industry-leading health, wellness and safety features that meaningfully impact users’ lives, and we intend to stay on this path,” said Apple.

And here’s what AliveCor said:

“We are deeply disappointed by the Court’s decisions this morning and that the Court did not review the available secondary considerations, which the ITC found to be persuasive in their finding of validity. Today’s ruling does not affect our business or ability to continue innovating for our growing base of millions of customers.

These cases go beyond AliveCor; these cases represent every small company and every future innovation that is at risk of being suppressed by a Goliath. Our fight against Apple is necessary to preserve innovation, fair competition, and the ability to ensure that inventors – both today and of the future – have the IP protection needed to build and scale new technologies.

We will continue to explore all available legal options, including potential appeals, to defend our position that our patents are valid and that Apple infringed our intellectual property rights. As we move forward, our focus remains on transforming the industry with clinically validated, AI-powered solutions that help democratize access to cardiac care.“

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