Apple Ordered to Pay Extra GH₵2.16 Billion in Apple Watch Patent Case
Apple has been ordered to pay an additional US$184 million in interest in its long-running patent dispute with medical-technology company Masimo.
The new award comes on top of a US$634 million jury verdict issued in Masimo’s favour.
The case concerns technology used in Apple Watch health-monitoring features, including systems linked to heart-rate notifications and workout functions.
Masimo accused Apple of infringing a patent covering low-power pulse oximeter technology. Pulse oximeters use light-based sensors to estimate blood oxygen levels and monitor certain health-related measurements.
A federal jury in California found in November 2025 that Apple had infringed Masimo’s patent and awarded the medical-technology company damages.
Apple later challenged the verdict and asked the court to overturn it or order a new trial. Those requests were rejected, leaving the original damages award in place.
Masimo then sought additional interest on the damages. The company argued that it had been deprived of royalty payments during the period in which Apple was found to have used the patented technology.
U.S. District Judge James V. Selna approved the additional interest payment. According to Bloomberg Law, the judge rejected Masimo’s request for a seven percent interest rate but used Masimo’s borrowing rate, compounded annually, to calculate the award.
The judge said interest was necessary to compensate Masimo for payments it would have received earlier if Apple had not infringed the patent. The additional amount was therefore not a new penalty for separate conduct, but compensation linked to the delay in receiving the damages.
The dispute is part of a broader legal battle between Apple and Masimo that has lasted for several years.
Masimo previously brought a separate case before the U.S. International Trade Commission involving Apple Watch models with blood-oxygen monitoring technology. In 2023, the commission found that some Apple Watch products infringed Masimo patents and issued an order restricting their importation into the United States.
Apple temporarily stopped selling certain models and later redesigned the affected devices. The company was subsequently allowed to import a redesigned version after U.S. authorities determined that it did not violate the relevant exclusion order.
The damages case is separate from the import dispute, although both proceedings involve Apple Watch health-monitoring technology.
Apple has argued that its products were developed independently and has disputed Masimo’s claims. The company also maintains that its technology is different from Masimo’s patented systems.
As technology companies add more medical-style functions to wearable devices, disputes over patents, licensing and ownership are likely to become more common.
