Apple's patent penalty over Apple Watch health features has grown substantially, with a federal judge ordering the company to pay an additional $184 million in interest on top of the $634 million a jury awarded to medical technology company Masimo last year.
What the Judge Ordered
The ruling, reported by Bloomberg Law, takes Apple's total bill to around $818 million, not counting any post-judgment interest that continues to accrue until the judgment is paid. Judge James Selna rejected Apple's argument that adding prejudgment interest would constitute a windfall for Masimo, holding that interest compensates the patent owner for the period during which it was deprived of royalty payments it would theoretically have received.
The decision was not entirely in Masimo's favour. The judge declined the company's request to calculate interest at a 7 percent rate, which would have put the interest bill at $243 million. Instead, the court used Masimo's own borrowing rate, compounded annually from when the infringement began.
Background of the Dispute
The case concerns a Masimo pulse-oximetry patent. In November 2025, a jury found that Apple Watch features including heart-rate notifications infringed the patent and awarded the company $634 million. Apple subsequently tried to overturn or reduce the award, but Judge Selna upheld the verdict in July.
Because the patent in question expired in June 2022, the ruling relates to historical Apple Watch sales and has no effect on the heart-rate features in current Apple Watch models.
Masimo is also behind the separate patent dispute that led to a U.S. import ban on certain Apple Watch models and resulted in Apple disabling blood oxygen functionality on affected newly sold models. Apple introduced a redesigned version of the feature in 2025.
Sources:
Apple's $634 Million Apple Watch Patent Bill Just Got Even Bigger - MacRumors
What the Judge Ordered
The ruling, reported by Bloomberg Law, takes Apple's total bill to around $818 million, not counting any post-judgment interest that continues to accrue until the judgment is paid. Judge James Selna rejected Apple's argument that adding prejudgment interest would constitute a windfall for Masimo, holding that interest compensates the patent owner for the period during which it was deprived of royalty payments it would theoretically have received.
The decision was not entirely in Masimo's favour. The judge declined the company's request to calculate interest at a 7 percent rate, which would have put the interest bill at $243 million. Instead, the court used Masimo's own borrowing rate, compounded annually from when the infringement began.
Background of the Dispute
The case concerns a Masimo pulse-oximetry patent. In November 2025, a jury found that Apple Watch features including heart-rate notifications infringed the patent and awarded the company $634 million. Apple subsequently tried to overturn or reduce the award, but Judge Selna upheld the verdict in July.
Because the patent in question expired in June 2022, the ruling relates to historical Apple Watch sales and has no effect on the heart-rate features in current Apple Watch models.
Masimo is also behind the separate patent dispute that led to a U.S. import ban on certain Apple Watch models and resulted in Apple disabling blood oxygen functionality on affected newly sold models. Apple introduced a redesigned version of the feature in 2025.
Sources:
Apple's $634 Million Apple Watch Patent Bill Just Got Even Bigger - MacRumors