In a major victory, Apple has successfully challenged patents at the heart of a dispute with medical device company AliveCor. The US Patent and Trademark Office’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board ruled that three AliveCor patents covering heart monitoring technologies for wearable devices were unpatentable.
AliveCor had alleged that Apple copied these technologies with its Apple Watch, and over the summer, an ITC judge found that Apple had infringed on two of the three patents AliveCor asserted in its complaint. This decision could disrupt the proceedings at the ITC, which is set to decide by December 12 whether there ought to be an exclusion order or import ban on infringing Apple Watches.
Apple has welcomed the decision by the US Patent and Trademark Office’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) to rule that three patents covering heart monitoring technologies for wearable devices were unpatentable. The decision followed a challenge by Apple against medical device company AliveCor, which had alleged that Apple copied its technologies with its Apple Watch. An ITC judge had previously found that Apple had infringed on two of three patents in AliveCor’s complaint. In a statement, an Apple spokesperson said the company appreciated PTAB’s “careful consideration” of the patents found to be invalid.
AliveCor said it was “deeply disappointed” with the PTAB decision and would appeal. It added that it was looking forward to the ITC’s final determination. Despite the ruling, AliveCor has also filed a pending federal antitrust case against Apple. Apple has also challenged several other AliveCor patents at the PTAB.
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