Apple wins bid to temporarily pause Apple Watch ban

A federal appeals court on Wednesday temporarily blocked an import ban on Apple's newest smartwatches in a legal victory for the technology giant amid an ongoing legal battle over a patent dispute. 

Apple stopped selling its Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 on Tuesday after the White House had declined to reverse a U.S. International Trade Commission decision to ban the watches from being imported due to patent violations. The trade commission had ruled that Apple's newest watches violated medical device maker Masimo's pulse oximeter patent. 

The executive branch had until Christmas Day to review the ban but did not intervene, so Apple filed an emergency appeal motion Tuesday, arguing that it could "suffer irreparable harm" if the ban was kept in place.

In a major win for Apple, the appeals court’s temporary ruling gives the federal regulators more time to consider Apple's redesign of the watch models, and a decision is expected by Jan. 12, according to CNN.

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