Apple Wins Lawsuit Filed Over Heart-Rate Apps for Apple Watch

In a recent legal development, Apple successfully convinced a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed by a Silicon Valley startup, AliveCor.

The suit alleged that Apple engaged in illegal monopolization of the U.S. market for heart rate monitoring apps designed for the Apple Watch.

U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White in Oakland, California, made the ruling on February 6, rejecting AliveCor's claims that Apple violated both the federal Sherman antitrust law and a California unfair competition law.

Apple Wins Lawsuit Ruling Appeal

The detailed explanation behind Judge White's decision is currently under temporary seal due to confidentiality concerns.Meanwhile, AliveCor expressed deep disappointment, strongly disagreeing with the court's decision, and announced its intention to appeal the ruling.

In response, Apple issued a statement asserting that the lawsuit challenged its ability to improve the Apple Watch, a device relied upon by consumers and developers.

The company also emphasized that the court's decision affirms its practices are not anticompetitive.

AliveCor's amended complaint alleged that Apple initially indicated collaboration on heart-monitoring technology for the Apple Watch.However, it claimed that Apple later betrayed this understanding by copying its ideas and launching a deliberate effort to dominate the market for heart rate analysis.

The complaint also accused Apple of updating the heart rate algorithm on its watches to hinder third parties from identifying irregular heartbeats and developing competing apps.

AliveCor, based in Mountain View, California, had created the KardiaBand, a wristband for the Apple Watch capable of recording an electrocardiogram (ECG).

The company also developed the Kardia app for analyzing ECG readings on Apple Watches and a SmartRhythm heart rate analysis app powered by artificial intelligence. On the other hand, Apple, headquartered in Cupertino, California, denied any wrongdoing, asserting that competitors lack the right to dictate its design decisions.

A Stream of Lawsuits in 2024

Looking beyond the case with AliveCor, Apple appears to be facing several lawsuits this year, including potential antitrust cases. A notable example is seen in a January 17 report from Bloomberg.

According to it, the U.S. Department of Justice is gearing up to file an antitrust case against Apple, with a potential launch in March pending approval from senior officials in the DOJ's antitrust division.

Sources familiar with the matter revealed that attorneys from the DOJ and Apple have engaged in three meetings to discuss the possible lawsuit.The focus of the case is said to be on the restrictions imposed by Apple's software and hardware on iPhones and iPads, which allegedly hinder competitive services.

Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter heads the DOJ Antitrust division, while Chair Lina Khan oversees the Federal Trade Commission.

Both entities have previously acted against major tech companies, with cases against Google's parent company, Alphabet, pursued by both enforcers.

Besides that, the FTC has targeted Amazon and Meta in separate actions, hinting at their commitment to setting things right in the tech industry.

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