Apple loses newest bid to avert patent dispute that has halted on-line U.S. gross sales of two watch fashions

CUPERTINO, Calif. — Apple on Thursday stopped on-line gross sales of two widespread fashions of its internet-connected watch within the U.S. after dropping its newest try and untangle a patent dispute that’s blocking it from utilizing a number of the know-how on the system.

Both the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 turned unavailable to order on-line starting at 3 p.m. ET, as the corporate adopted by on its plan to droop gross sales of them due to a authorized battle over an mental property declare filed by medical know-how firm Masimo.

The International Trade Commission on rejected Apple‘s bid to get around a late October order blocking the company from using some of technology underlying the Blood Oxygen measurement feature on the Series 9 and Ultra 2 watches.

Stymied by the decision, Apple decided to stop to stop selling the two watch models in the U.S. to comply with the ITC ruling that will now stand, unless the Biden administration overturns it by Christmas.

Although the online sales suspension went into effect Thursday afternoon, the devices are scheduled to remain on store shelves until Sunday. The less sophisticated Apple Watch will remain available in the U.S. after Christmas Eve. Previously purchased Apple Watches equipped with the Blood Oxygen aren’t affected by the ITC order.

Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives estimates Apple‘s holiday-season gross sales will probably be lowered by $300 million and $400 million if the patent dispute leads to the 2 watch fashions being pulled from the U.S. market in the course of the remaining week of the 12 months.