Apple forced to stop selling Apple Watch models just before Christmas due to patent ruling

Apple has been forced to take some Apple Watch models off shelves ahead of Christmas.

Organized individuals may have already purchased the Apple gifts they wanted, but those who were holding out on buying some Apple Watch models might be waiting a while to get their hands on one.

This comes in the wake of the International Trade Commission (ITC) ordering that two models be pulled from sale.

This comes in the wake of tech firm Masimo's accusation that Apple stole its trade secrets and incorporated its blood oxygen sensing technology into its watches.

Masimo founder and CEO Joe Kiani said that his company wants to 'hold Apple accountable for unlawfully misappropriating our patented technology'.

Apple has since revealed that the Series 9 and Ultra 2 will stop being sold from December 21 onwards via Apple.com, while in-store sales will stop on Christmas Eve.

The ITC ban is currently undergoing a Presidential Review Period, and President Biden will have until December 25 to decide if he wants to veto it.

This only affects US sales.

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Apple's official statement reads: "A Presidential Review Period is in progress regarding an order from the U.S. International Trade Commission on a technical intellectual property dispute pertaining to Apple Watch devices containing the Blood Oxygen feature.

"While the review period will not end until December 25, Apple is preemptively taking steps to comply should the ruling stand.

"This includes pausing sales of Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 from Apple.com starting December 21, and from Apple retail locations after December 24."

It continues: "Apple’s teams work tirelessly to create products and services that empower users with industry-leading health, wellness, and safety features.

"Apple strongly disagrees with the order and is pursuing a range of legal and technical options to ensure that Apple Watch is available to customers."

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"Should the order stand, Apple will continue to take all measures to return Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 to customers in the U.S. as soon as possible," the statement concludes.

The two models are the only Apple Watches with this particular blood oxygen sensing feature, meaning the likes of the Apple Watch SE and other models can continue to be sold without issue.

If you've ordered a Series 9 or Ultra 2 to be collected in store prior to the announcement, you should still be able to collect the item as long as you do so before December 24.

Elsewhere, if you've already purchased one of the watches online, you should still receive it before Christmas as planned.