Apple Sued Again over Apple Watch
In another crucial case filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, medical technology company Masimo has accused Apple of infringing on their copyrights in the Series 4 and Series 5 Apple Watch. Additionally, the company claims that the tech giant poached several of its employees intending to duplicate their copyrighted technology. Masimo highlighted that they had talks with Apple in 2013, where the company expressed interest in including their technology in an as-yet-unreleased version of the Apple Watch. Masimo contends that Apple used their trust to implement its proprietary non-invasive monitoring technology into the company’s product.
Not Just the Tech, But the People
in 2014, Apple notoriously hired a handful of integral personnel from Masimo’s staff when they quit the company. Among these were their Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs, Chief Medical Officer, and the Chief Technology Officer for a company developed out of Masimo called Ceracor. Masimo contends that these employees took with them sensitive information, which they then shared with their employer. Apple further used this knowledge to their advantage when designing and testing the Apple Watch.
Multiple Suits to Deal With
Masimo intends to ask for an injunction against the Series 4 and Series 5 Apple Watch, with a claim of stolen trade secrets and patent infringement on the table. They also want four of their own employees added to the ownership for four patents filed by the former CTO of Ceracor after he left the company. Apple’s fortunes in court regarding stealing tech for its Apple Watch have more than one contender. In December of 2019, Dr. Joseph Wiesel, a cardiologist, attached to New York University School of Medicine, filed a claim that the company stole his technology for atrial fibrillation for their Apple Watch. The suit is still pending.
