US trade tribunal rejects delay on import ban in Apple-Masimo dispute

FILE PHOTO: The Apple logo is seen hanging at the entrance to the Apple store on 5th Avenue in Manhattan, New York, U.S., October 16, 2019. REUTERS/Mike Segar/

By Blake Brittain

(Reuters) -The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) on Wednesday denied a motion by Apple Inc to stop an import ban on some high end Apple Watches from going into effect.

The Biden Administration still has a Dec. 25 deadline to determine whether to veto the ban for public policy reasons.

Apple had made a motion to the ITC to temporarily halt the order while the case is under appeal or in light of a potential government shutdown.

Masimo won an ITC patent case over technology that enables the blood oxygen feature on some of Apple's smartwatches.

(Reporting by Blake Brittain in Washington and Urvi Dugar in Bengaluru; Editing by Matthew Lewis and Christian Schmollinger)