Biden Admin Declines to Veto Import Ban on Certain Apple Watch Models

The Biden Administration opted not to intervene in a patent dispute pertaining to tech-giant Apple.

For Context: In October, the U.S. International Trade Commission ruled that Apple infringed on patents held by Masimo in the creation of select models of its Apple Watch product, issuing an import ban on the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 internet-connected watch. In a lawsuit, Masimo accused Apple of poaching employees and stealing technology pertaining to a blood oxygen tracker.

Details: The Biden Administration had the opportunity to intervene and potentially veto the ban, but declined to do so. The ban officially went into effect on December 26. Apple is expected to appeal the ban.  

Key Quotes: The Hill (Center bias) published a statement from Apple expressing that the company “strongly disagrees with the order and is pursuing a range of legal and technical options to ensure that Apple Watch is available to customers.”

How the Media Covered It: Outlets across the spectrum covered the story, highlighting the timing of the ban coinciding with the holiday shopping season and noting a dip in Apple’s stock price following the development. Reporting on potential earnings lost, the Associated Press (Lean Left bias) downplayed the potential economic impact, determining the loss would be a “relative drop in the bucket for Apple.” Meanwhile, the Washington Examiner (Lean Right bias) sounded the alarm, with its homepage headline for the article reading, “Watch this space: Biden refuses to bail Apple out over ticking time bomb.”