Apple Inc.’s AAPL bid to delay a sales ban on certain Apple Watch models in the United States has been turned down by the International Trade Commission.
What Happened: Apple’s effort to defer an impending import ban on the Apple Watch was rejected, which could lead to the suspension of sales for specific Apple Watch models in the U.S. unless the White House intervenes, reported CNBC.
Earlier, it was reported that Apple would cease the sale of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2, beginning Thursday on its website and starting Sunday in its stores. Older models will still be available.
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This decision was made after the ITC ruled in October that the Apple Watch’s blood oxygen sensor had violated Masimo Corp’s MISO intellectual property, a company specializing in medical technology.
Apple’s appeal to delay the original decision, which would have permitted them to continue selling the devices, was dismissed by the ITC on Wednesday.
Previously, it was also reported that as a result of ongoing legal proceedings, Cupertino had issued an internal memo instructing customer service representatives not to guide customers to places where they could buy the watches.
While Apple might not be able to sell its latest smartwatches, retailers such as Walmart, Best Buy, and Target can continue selling the watches due to a legal loophole.
Why It Matters: Apple’s shares slightly dipped since the announcement of the sales pause on Monday but remained unchanged in after-hours trading on Wednesday, the report noted.
According to Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives, Apple’s decision to suspend the sale of its latest Apple Watch models could potentially lead to a sales loss of up to $400 million.
Earlier this week, Masimo CEO Joe Kiani said that the tech giant has not attempted to settle the dispute.
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