Two Apple Watch models that were recently prohibited from being sold are allowed to hit store shelves again.
A federal court temporarily lifted the sales ban, and the watches were available for purchase once again on Thursday.
The backstory: The International Trade Commission (ITC) had ordered the sales halt in October due to a patent dispute with the medical technology company, Masimo.
- The ITC ruling had blocked Apple from using specific technologies related to a blood-oxygen measurement system in its Series 9 and Ultra 2 watches.
- Apple complied with the ITC ruling and stopped online sales of the watches in the US just days before Christmas.
The big picture: A federal court lifted the sales prohibition while it considers an appeal from Apple.
- The ongoing patent disputes may lead Apple to explore licensing agreements or acquiring startups specializing in the medical technology field.
