Notebookcheck Logo

Apple receives favorable ruling for lawsuit linked to ECG technology

The KardiaBand is an ECG monitoring band designed for the Apple Watch. (Image source: Kardia)
The KardiaBand is an ECG monitoring band designed for the Apple Watch. (Image source: Kardia)
A US judge has ruled in favor of Apple on an antitrust lawsuit filed by AliveCor. The complaint relates to ECG technology from the two companies and dates back to 2015. While Apple has welcomed the ruling, AliveCor indicated it would appeal the decision and noted several other patent infringement cases.

A recent ruling means that Apple is no longer facing an antitrust lawsuit relating to its heart rate monitoring technology. The suit was brought against the company by AliveCor based on meetings which began in 2015. Now, Federal Judge Jeffrey White has issued a summary judgement in the Northern District of California ruling in favor of Apple; the document is currently under seal for confidentiality. 

AliveCor's KardiaBand is an FDA-approved EKG gadget compatible with Apple Watch 1-3 devices. According to the company's complaint, Apple initially showed an interest in partnering on the solution but then released the Apple Watch 4, which features its own ECG technology. AliveCor also claims that Apple prevented the use of third-party heart rate monitoring solutions. Apple denies these assertions.

In a statement issued by an Apple spokesperson, the company welcomed the outcome, saying that "AliveCor's lawsuit challenged Apple's ability to improve important capabilities of the Apple Watch that consumers and developers rely on, and today's outcome confirms that is not anticompetitive." AliveCor has conveyed its disappointment in the decision, saying it would "continue to vigorously protect our intellectual property to benefit our consumers and promote innovation", with plans to appeal the decision. AliveCor is also pursuing multiple patent infringement lawsuits against Apple; the U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) recently announced that it would review two relating to the company's ECG technology.

Buy the Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen) [GPS 40mm] Smartwatch at Amazon

(Image source: Kardia)
(Image source: Kardia)
Read all 1 comments / answer
static version load dynamic
Loading Comments
Comment on this article
Please share our article, every link counts!
> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2024 02 > Apple receives favorable ruling for lawsuit linked to ECG technology
Polly Allcock, 2024-02- 7 (Update: 2024-02- 7)