- Masimo, the company that sued Apple over patent infringement, has unveiled its own blood oxygen monitoring smartwatch called the Masimo Freedom.
- The Masimo Freedom is a health-focused device that can track blood oxygen levels, hydration index, respiration rate, pulse rate variability, pulse rate, steps, and detect falls.
- The smartwatch is currently in prototype stage and will be available for sale later this year at a price of $999.
Archive link: https://archive.ph/aOUXX
When you’re defending patents you have to demonstrate you’re developing your own products or licensing them and so you can sue for damages. At this price point this “prototype” is just a loophole so they can extort Apple.
You make it sound like they’re being assholes to Apple when in reality, Apple is the bad guy here. Apple was going to license the technology but instead tried to hire all the engineers and people who developed it and then make their own version in house. Genuinely just thought they could steal the tech and then out lawyer the smaller company.
In this case Apple clearly is in the wrong and is now fucking customers over because of its shitty practices.
I think the case is still developping, but I hate these laws that forbid employees from working at other companies. I thate to take Apple’s side, but I don’t think hiring the engineers was wrong.
Like you accummulate knowledge at your current company, and you’re not supposed to use it ever in any job? Bullshit. Masimo could have offered their knowlesge employees better salaries stock options so they stay, at the end of this case if Masimo wins, it’s the employees that will lose.
Anyone working in a specialized field will find it hard to be hired as new companies will be afraid of the same thing here.
Do… do you seriously think poaching employees to recreate technology to the point of literally infringing on a patent is justified, while then extolling the virtues of a theoretical free market which by definition enforces competition through strict regulation?
Man capitalism really does a number on the brain
Yes I can see how the company suing another company that has stolen its tech, stolen its high level employees and then refuses to admit any fault or issue has absolutely no base to sue on.
I agree in general with your statement, but it’s completely wrong here. There is definitely a giant greedy asshole corporation here, and with the history that Apple was going to license it from them and didn’t have an issue previously I know which one it is.
Not a fan of Apple but the number of people who would benefit from being able to monitor blood oxygenation is more meaningful to me than Masimo’s ability to sell thousand dollar smartwatches with its patent technology. Would be great if somehow this patent was bought out and made public domain so people outside the upper middle class could have an affordable way to track their vitals.
Apple can easily pay to license the technology and utilise it, and has had multiple chances to over the years at reasonable prices.
This result is only because Apple is run by some absolute morons who were happy to try and steal the tech but got caught with their pants down.
As for making it available to upper middle class, there’s plenty of devices out there already for monitoring blood oxygenation for under $100.
Apple is run by some absolute morons who were happy to try and steal the tech
Xerox PARC intensifies
If you look at almost everything “iconic” that Apple has ever done they have “borrowed” or outright stolen from others. This is entirely on brand for Apple. They just ran up against someone who was willing to push back.
Would be great if somehow this patent was bought out and made public domain so people outside the upper middle class could have an affordable way to track their vitals.
Apple is a strange choice as a champion for that. Their devices always have been notoriously overpriced.
Their devices always have been notoriously overpriced.
I disagree. They don’t offer a low-end option, but their devices are fairly priced for what you get. People keep claiming they are overpriced but when you ask them for a cheaper alternative they always respond with something not even remotely comparable.
They notoriously sell older components and technologies in their brand new computers.
I have one I got for free that was made in 2020. It’s a MacBook Air. It has 8gb of RAM… I don’t even know how they found RAM chips that small in 2020. It freezes every day when all I’m doing is running a web browser. This computer was $1,000 at the time it launched.
I can’t relate to the value you place in them. You couldn’t pay me to use Apple software.
Apple also holds over 95,500 patents. I will never get why some people defend this crazy company. They make underperforming computers and sell them for wayyy over their value.
Please list here all competitors to the MacBook Air in the same price point:
Battery life must be equal or better, no extra points will be given for massive CPU/GPU power. I’ll wait.
In the name of every medical professional out there:
Fuck Masimo. You piece of shit garbage company.
Masimo does strategically patent troll other companies to keep their monopoly on oxygen saturation technology, deliver a subpar product that is very likely designed with planned obsolescence (which actively endangers patients). It’s an absolute shit show.
Patent trolling Apple doesn’t seem like a winning move. Can they really sell a smartwatch without infringing on anything in Apple’s patent portfolio? The revenge will be swift and terrifying
They can license it, just like how Apple should have licensed their tech.
They aren’t a patent troll. This is literally their business. They are sueing apple becsuse they are violating their patent and could have or has had a negative impact on their business. This is the kind of suit patents were designed for.
Patent trolls buy up patents but produce nothing and do nothing with those parents–except for suing people to make money.
Charging $999 for a watch is the next idea Apple will steal from them.
It isn’t even an official price.
Price is for United States only and is subject to change based on final design, specifications, and features.
