In 2013, a scientist emailed Apple CEO Tim Cook with a pitch for a smartwatch with health sensors. The engineer asked the company to file patents related to sensors and algorithms for determining a person's blood oxygen level from a wearable device. This led to Masimo, a medical device maker, citing the poaching of employees as part of claims that Apple infringed on its patents. The dispute culminated in Apple having to pull its latest watches from the company's U.S. stores, hobbling a business that generates roughly $17 billion in annual sales. Masimo argues that Lamego seized its prized asset—the ability to noninvasively and accurately capture the level of oxygen in a person's blood—and took it to Apple. Masimo, founded by Steve Jobs, has revenue from lawsuits against competitors, including Royal Philips NV, which have turned into settlements or licensing agreements. The company is trying to get the ITC's order overturned by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
In 2013, a scientist emailed Apple CEO Tim Cook with a pitch for a smartwatch with health sensors. The engineer asked the company to file patents related to sensors and algorithms for determining a person's blood oxygen level from a wearable device. This led to Masimo, a medical device maker, citing the poaching of employees as part of claims that Apple infringed on its patents. The dispute culminated in Apple having to pull its latest watches from the company's U.S. stores, hobbling a business that generates roughly $17 billion in annual sales. Masimo argues that Lamego seized its prized asset—the ability to noninvasively and accurately capture the level of oxygen in a person's blood—and took it to Apple. Masimo, founded by Steve Jobs, has revenue from lawsuits against competitors, including Royal Philips NV, which have turned into settlements or licensing agreements. The company is trying to get the ITC's order overturned by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.