Apple has announced plans to appeal after facing a sales halt of its latest smartwatches in the United States due to an ongoing patent dispute.

The White House has declined to reverse a ban on sales and imports of Apple’s Series 9 and Ultra 2 watches, which became effective this week, following action taken by the US International Trade Commission (USITC) to protect device maker Masimo.

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The USITC order, issued in October, accused Apple of infringing on two patents owned by medical device maker Masimo Corporation.

Masimo alleges that Apple engaged in employee poaching and technology theft related to its blood oxygen level measurement technology.

Apple, which vehemently disagrees with the ruling, had “pre-emptively” removed the affected devices from its US site and stores earlier this month.

The ban, not affecting sales in other regions, was subject to a 60-day review by the president, and the White House chose not to overturn the decision after careful consultations.

Apple had sought a stay on the ban until Customs and Border Protection (CBP) could assess whether redesigned versions of the watches, excluding the disputed technology, violated Masimo’s patents. CBP is expected to make a decision on January 12.

In response to the situation, Apple has also filed an emergency request with the US Court of Appeals to lift the ban.

The tech giant is actively working to return the affected smartwatches to customers in the US, asserting that it strongly disagrees with the USITC decision.

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Masimo, on the other hand, views the White House’s decision as a significant victory for the integrity of the US patent system and innovation.

A company spokesperson expressed that this outcome benefits American consumers by fostering an ecosystem that rewards genuine innovation.