Apple Watch Found to Infringe AliveCor ECG Patents

AliveCor, Inc., a company focused on cardiac data and remote medicine, successfully convinced an International Trade Commission (ITC) judge that Apple, Inc. infringed multiple AliveCor patents related to electrocardiogram (ECG) technology.  AliveCor asserted that the Apple Watch (Series 6 and 7) infringes multiple AliveCor ECG patents and seeks to ban the watches from importation into the U.S.

In a June 27, 2022 Notice of Initial Determination, an ITC Administrative Law Judge (“ALJ”) agreed with AliveCor, determining Apple had violated Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. § 1337), related to “Unfair practices in import trade.”  The ALJ found the ECG functionality of the Apple Watch Series 6 and Series 7 (pictured below) infringed multiple, valid claims of two AliveCor patents: U.S. Patent Nos. 10,638,941 (titled “Discordance Monitoring”) and 10,595,731 (titled “Methods and Systems for Arrhythmia Tracking and Scoring”).

A public version of the ALJ’s complete Initial Determination should be released soon.  By October 26, 2022, the full ITC is expected to issue a final decision in a related “1266 Investigation.”  If the Commission affirms the ALJ’s findings, the Apple Watch Series 6 and Series 7 could be banned from importation into the United States.

AliveCor is the complainant in ITC Investigation No. 337-TA-1266, captioned Certain Wearable Electronic Devices with ECG Functionality and Components Thereof.