Sales of some Apple Watch models to be halted in U.S. amid patent dispute
Global News
Although the online sales suspension went into effect Thursday afternoon, the devices are scheduled to remain on store shelves until Sunday.
Apple on Thursday stopped online sales of two popular models of its internet-connected watch in the U.S. after losing its latest attempt to untangle a patent dispute that’s blocking it from using some of the technology on the device.
Both the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 became unavailable to order online beginning at 3 p.m. ET, as the company followed through on its plan to suspend sales of them because of a legal battle over an intellectual property claim filed by medical technology company Masimo.
The International Trade Commission on rejected Apple’s bid to get around a late October order blocking the company from using some of technology underlying the Blood Oxygen measurement feature on the Series 9 and Ultra 2 watches.
Stymied by the decision, Apple decided to stop to stop selling the two watch models in the U.S. to comply with the ITC ruling that will now stand, unless the Biden administration overturns it by Christmas.
Although the online sales suspension went into effect Thursday afternoon, the devices are scheduled to remain on store shelves until Sunday. The less sophisticated Apple Watch will remain available in the U.S. after Christmas Eve. Previously purchased Apple Watches equipped with the Blood Oxygen aren’t affected by the ITC order.
Apple told Global News on background that sales of these models would only be halted in the U.S. and not in Canada.
Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives estimates Apple’s holiday-season sales will be reduced by $300 million and $400 million if the patent dispute results in the two watch models being pulled from the U.S. market during the final week of the year.
—with files from Global News’ Sean Previl and Nicole Gibillini
B.C. health authorities have announced the first case of a human avian flu infection acquired in Canada, with the teenage patient in critical condition in hospital.
People have been hearing a lot about H5N1 bird flu — or highly pathogenic avian influenza — since a B.C. teen became the first human to get the virus in Canada and is in hospital.
The Liberal government and the NDP negotiated the substance of a pharmacare bill as part of their now-defunct supply-and-confidence agreement.
Kennedy ran as an independent presidential candidate but gave Trump his endorsement with a promise to have a role in health policy in the next Trump administration.
Emergency services are at the scene of a train derailment Thursday morning on Montreal's south shore, where they are urging citizens to stay away from the area.
"I was yelling at them saying get the F** away it’s a wild animal," resident Josh Merrin told Global News. "Sorry about my language."
H5 bird flu is widespread in wild birds worldwide and is causing outbreaks in poultry and U.S. dairy cows, with several recent human cases in U.S. dairy and poultry workers.
The Calgary Zoo announced that one of its lowland gorillas unexpectedly passed away on November 12, 2024.
Edmontonians have had mixed feelings and now the city is asking people to share their thoughts officially. The findings of a survey could bring some changes.
Dr. Anna Wolak, a family physician in Vancouver, said many parents are likely having flashbacks to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, despite this flu being a single case.
WHO acknowledged that testing for mpox is still not widespread, making it difficult to understand how exactly the virus is spreading.