Win for Wearables: Appeals Court Lifts Apple Watch Ban!

The looming fate of the Apple Watch has been in question in recent weeks as a federal court of appeals made a decision regarding its controversial ban. On Tuesday, September 15th, 2020, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit granted a temporary injunction, halting the temporary ban on the Apple Watch in the US. This decision has been highly anticipated by the tech community, as the ban, imposed by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), would have prevented Apple from selling their smartwatch in the United States. The ban was initially put in place on August 1st, 2020, in response to a CBP ruling that stated the Apple Watch infringed upon an existing patent held by Trinity Innovations, LLC. At the time of the court decision, Apple released a statement expressing their appreciation for the Federal Circuit ruling, noting that “this decision puts an end to our prolonged challenge with Trinity Innovations and allows us to continue offering the Apple Watch to our customers.” The court decision surprised many industry observers, as the ban on the Apple Watch would have been a major setback for the tech giant. It would have been a significant blow to Apple’s wearable device business, which has been a significant source of revenues for the company. Although the ban has been temporarily set aside for now, the case is still open, and the full battle between Apple and Trinity Innovations is yet to come. It is unclear if the Federal Circuit will ultimately uphold the ban, or if Apple will be able to win its appeal. Regardless of the outcome, this latest court decision is a major victory for Apple, who were facing a significant loss in revenue if the ban on the Apple Watch had been upheld. It remains to be seen if Apple can make the most of this temporary reprieve and continue selling the Apple Watch in the US.