It’s 2025, and Apple’s sleek, omnipresent Apple Watch is once again dodging legal bullets like it’s starring in its own tech-themed action movie. This time, the Cupertino giant has sidestepped a potential import ban that could’ve kept its wrist candy out of American hands. The opponent? AliveCor, a medical tech company that’s been swinging at Apple with patent lawsuits since 2021. The prize? Control over the electrocardiogram (EKG) tech that’s made the Apple Watch a darling of health-conscious gadget lovers everywhere.

On March 7, 2025, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit delivered the latest plot twist: AliveCor’s patents—specifically three of them tied to EKG functionality—aren’t patentable after all. That decision upholds an earlier ruling from the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), effectively slamming the door on AliveCor’s hopes of enforcing an International Trade Commission (ITC) import ban on the Apple Watch. For Apple fans, it’s a sigh of relief. For AliveCor, it’s another frustrating chapter in a saga that’s starting to feel like a David-and-Goliath rematch—except David’s slingshot keeps misfiring.

Let’s rewind a bit to unpack how we got here. Back in 2021, AliveCor, a company known for its portable EKG devices like the KardiaMobile, took Apple to the ITC, alleging that the tech titan had infringed on its patents. These weren’t just any patents—they were tied to the Apple Watch’s ability to detect irregular heart rhythms, a feature Apple rolled out with much fanfare in 2018 with the Series 4. AliveCor argued that Apple had essentially peeked at their homework and copied it, violating their intellectual property rights. The ITC, after some deliberation, agreed with AliveCor in 2022, recommending an import ban that would’ve halted sales of Apple Watches with EKG capabilities in the US.

But here’s where the plot thickens. That ban never kicked in. Why? Because the PTAB, a separate entity under the US Patent and Trademark Office, threw a wrench into AliveCor’s plans by ruling that the three patents at the heart of the dispute weren’t valid in the first place. In patent law, that’s a bit like finding out your golden ticket is just a candy wrapper—it looks good until someone checks the fine print. For the ITC ban to stick, AliveCor needed to win an appeal of the PTAB’s decision. Spoiler alert: They didn’t. The Federal Circuit’s ruling seals the deal: no ban, no victory, no dice.

AliveCor isn’t taking this lying down, though. “We are deeply disappointed by the Court’s decisions this morning and that the Court did not review the available secondary considerations, which the ITC found to be persuasive in their finding of validity,” says Sanjay Voleti, AliveCor’s chief business officer. But the company insists the ruling won’t derail them: “Today’s decision does not affect our business or ability to continue innovating for our growing base of millions of customers,” their statement adds. They’re doubling down, promising to keep pushing out “clinically validated, AI-powered solutions” to transform cardiac care access.

AliveCor’s not just fighting for itself, either. “These cases go beyond AliveCor; they represent every small company and every future innovation that is at risk of being suppressed by a Goliath,” their statement reads. They see this as a crusade for fair competition and IP protection against giants like Apple. And they’re not backing down—they’ll “continue to explore all available legal options, including potential appeals,” to prove their patents hold water and that Apple stepped over the line.

Apple, meanwhile, is popping the champagne (or at least some artisanal sparkling water from their Cupertino cafeteria). “We thank the Federal Circuit for its careful consideration in this case,” said Fred Sainz, an Apple spokesperson, in a statement to The Verge. “Apple’s teams have worked tirelessly over many years to develop industry-leading health, wellness and safety features that meaningfully impact users’ lives, and we intend to stay on this path.” It’s classic Apple PR—polished, confident, and just vague enough to sound noble without saying much.

Now, if this story feels vaguely familiar, it’s because we’ve seen this movie before—just with a different cast. AliveCor’s legal playbook mirrors one used by Masimo, another medical device maker that tangled with Apple over the Watch’s blood oxygen sensor. Masimo’s patents held up better than AliveCor’s, and late last year, they scored an ITC import ban that forced Apple to tweak its US-sold Series 9 and Ultra 2 watches by disabling the blood oxygen feature entirely. (If you’re wondering, yes, those watches still ship globally with the feature intact—it’s just American buyers who get the nerfed version.) The EKG tech, though? That’s safe for now, thanks to the recent ruling.

Related /

• Apple wins smartwatch patent infringement case against Masimo

So, what’s the bigger picture here? For one, it’s a reminder of how cutthroat the wearable tech space has become. The Apple Watch isn’t just a timekeeper or a fitness tracker anymore—it’s a health device, a status symbol, and a lightning rod for legal battles. Companies like AliveCor and Masimo see Apple as both a competitor and a copycat, accusing it of leveraging its massive resources to muscle into their territory. Apple, in turn, frames itself as an innovator, building features that “meaningfully impact users’ lives” while batting away lawsuits like flies at a picnic.

Well, you can keep buying your Apple Watch without worrying about the EKG feature disappearing—at least for now. But this saga’s far from over. AliveCor’s talk of appeals means we might see another sequel in this legal franchise. In the meantime, Apple’s dodging bans like a pro, and the smartwatch wars roll on.

Updated March 9th, 12:17 am ET: A statement from AliveCor’s representative has been added in the fifth and sixth paragraphs.