US authorities may ban Apple Watch sales due to patent infringement

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) is poised to ban sales of Apple Watch smartwatches that

Support ECG function. But not right now.

What is known

The American regulator admitted that all watchesCupertino companies that have an electrocardiogram feature infringe on patents from medical device maker AliveCor Inc. Also, ITC representatives believe that domestic sales of the Apple Watch should be prohibited. However, this will be done right now, and after the completion of all appeal processes.

AliveCor approached ITC a year ago.The company said that Apple stole proprietary technology and demanded a ban on sales of smartwatches in the United States. This year, AliveCor filed an antitrust lawsuit alleging that it blocked the functionality of its apps in the AppStore by blocking access to a sensor that measures heart rate.

The ECG function in Apple watches appeared in 2018year, when the presentation of the Apple Watch Series 4 took place. But the history of the two manufacturers began three years earlier. AliveCor has developed a bracelet for the Cupertino company's watches, equipped with ECG sensors. The medical device maker wanted to demonstrate the technology's potential in hopes of landing a contract with Apple.

But it didn’t come to a deal, and three years laterApple Watch Series 4 was announced. Since then, all watches from the Cupertino company have the function of taking an electrocardiogram, with the exception of Watch Series SE and SE 2.