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Masimo, a medical firm that has accused Apple of stealing trade secrets to develop the Apple Watch, has had its ongoing US District Court lawsuit against the tech giant end in a mistrial on Monday. Masimo had won a preliminary case with the International Trade Commission, but it also brought charges against Apple in front of the US District Court in April.
Mark Gurman, a renowned Apple reporter, tweeted that the trial ended in a mistrial after the jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict. According to a Bloomberg report earlier that day, six of seven jurors had ruled in favor of Apple, but a unanimous vote was needed to decide the case.
The judge urged the jurors to continue deliberating, but he did not use an “Allen charge” to force a verdict. Gurman did not reveal the reason for the mistrial, but it is believed that the jury’s inability to reach a unanimous decision was the cause.
In response to the mistrial, Apple issued a statement to AppleInsider, stating that it respected intellectual property and innovation and did not use confidential information from other companies. Apple added that it was pleased that the court had dismissed half of the plaintiffs’ trade secret allegations and would request the court to dismiss the remaining claims.
Although this latest development does not bode well for Masimo’s case, it is not the end. The trial will likely be put on hold until the plaintiffs decide how to move forward. In a statement, Masimo spokesperson said that the firm was disappointed that the jury could not reach a verdict but intended to retry the case and continue to pursue legal redress against Apple.
Masimo had sought nearly $2 billion in damages, and the trial’s outcome could have led to an Apple Watch ban. The United States Trade Commission is set to decide whether to ban the importation of certain models of the Apple Watch in the coming months, following a ruling last year by an Administrative Law Judge that Apple had infringed one of Masimo’s patents for pulse oximetry.
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To understand the scope of Masimo’s accusations, it is worth reading about the witness testimonies from earlier in the trial. Although the mistrial is a setback for Masimo, it is clear that the firm intends to continue to pursue its case against Apple. As this legal saga unfolds, it will be interesting to see how it impacts the future of wearable technology and intellectual property in the tech industry.
