Back in December 2020, Patently Apple posted a report titled "Apple has been sued by EKG Device Maker 'AliveCor' for Patent Infringement." Since that time the case has been bouncing around and included Apple countersuing AliveCor in December 2022.

Late on Friday, Reuters reported that Apple convinced a US appeals court on Friday to uphold its win against medical device maker AliveCor in a patent dispute that could have led to an import ban on Apple Watches.

The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed the invalidity of AliveCor heart-rate monitoring patents that the company had accused Apple of infringing, negating a US trade tribunal's ruling that Apple had violated AliveCor's rights.

The Federal Circuit agreed with Apple on Friday that AliveCor's patents were invalid and dismissed the ITC case.

An AliveCor spokesperson said the company was "deeply disappointed" by the rulings and is exploring "all available legal options, including potential appeals." The spokesperson said the decision does not affect AliveCor's ongoing business.

An Apple spokesperson said its teams have "worked tirelessly over many years to develop industry-leading health, wellness and safety features that meaningfully impact users' lives." Reuters