Apple accused of delaying Masimo legal fight to gain Watch sales

A customer displays his Apple Watch Series 6 in Sydney, Australia. Masimo claims Apple deflected earlier requests for information on whether the Watch Series 6 would have blood oxygen monitors and claimed the two sides weren’t in competition. — Bloomberg

Apple Inc is trying to delay a legal fight over allegedly stolen blood-oxygen monitoring technology in its latest watch so it can gain a more dominant share of the smartwatch market, medical-sensor maker Masimo Corp said in a court filing late on Sept 28.

Blood-oxygen monitoring is a key feature of the latest Apple Watch Series 6 announced on Sept 15. Masimo and its spinoff Cercacor Laboratories Inc had sued in January, accusing Apple of promising a working relationship only to steal secret information and hire away key employees, including Cercacor’s former chief technology officer and Masimo’s chief medical officer.