this post was submitted on 23 Jan 2024
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  • Masimo, the company that sued Apple over patent infringement, has unveiled its own blood oxygen monitoring smartwatch called the Masimo Freedom.
  • The Masimo Freedom is a health-focused device that can track blood oxygen levels, hydration index, respiration rate, pulse rate variability, pulse rate, steps, and detect falls.
  • The smartwatch is currently in prototype stage and will be available for sale later this year at a price of $999.

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[–] randoot 36 points 10 months ago (3 children)

When you're defending patents you have to demonstrate you're developing your own products or licensing them and so you can sue for damages. At this price point this "prototype" is just a loophole so they can extort Apple.

[–] DingoBilly 49 points 10 months ago (3 children)

You make it sound like they're being assholes to Apple when in reality, Apple is the bad guy here. Apple was going to license the technology but instead tried to hire all the engineers and people who developed it and then make their own version in house. Genuinely just thought they could steal the tech and then out lawyer the smaller company.

In this case Apple clearly is in the wrong and is now fucking customers over because of its shitty practices.

[–] hansl 20 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Fun fact; there can be more than one greedy asshole corporation.

[–] DingoBilly -1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Yes I can see how the company suing another company that has stolen its tech, stolen its high level employees and then refuses to admit any fault or issue has absolutely no base to sue on.

I agree in general with your statement, but it's completely wrong here. There is definitely a giant greedy asshole corporation here, and with the history that Apple was going to license it from them and didn't have an issue previously I know which one it is.

[–] stoly 0 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Apple sucks for hiring in Mossimo’s engineering team and reinventing the wheel. Mossimo sucks for being a patent troll.

[–] DingoBilly 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

A patent troll is considered to be a company that just sits on patents and hopes to sue companies for profit primarily without having actual products.

Mossimo makes a tonne of products and has over a billion in revenue. It's not a patent troll.

[–] stoly 1 points 10 months ago

I spelled it wrong via mobile--it's Masimo. Mossimo is a clothing brand.

[–] stoly 1 points 10 months ago
[–] akrot 0 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I think the case is still developping, but I hate these laws that forbid employees from working at other companies. I thate to take Apple's side, but I don't think hiring the engineers was wrong.

Like you accummulate knowledge at your current company, and you're not supposed to use it ever in any job? Bullshit. Masimo could have offered their knowlesge employees better salaries stock options so they stay, at the end of this case if Masimo wins, it's the employees that will lose.

Anyone working in a specialized field will find it hard to be hired as new companies will be afraid of the same thing here.

[–] highenergyphysics 4 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

Do… do you seriously think poaching employees to recreate technology to the point of literally infringing on a patent is justified, while then extolling the virtues of a theoretical free market which by definition enforces competition through strict regulation?

Man capitalism really does a number on the brain

[–] akrot -1 points 10 months ago

I am saying that from an employee perspective, what is my reason to support Masimo? Unless I am a suck up for corporations, why would I even support Masimo. The way I see it, the more restriction a company has on its employees (ie you are forbidden from working at a competitor with your expertise) the less power the employees have.

How is this even an argument for capitalism? Just shouting capitalism does not earn you free points. Think it through, step by step, human-gpt.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 10 months ago

I mean as long as it's apple and not some small company or individual, they can extort away.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 10 months ago

That's trademarks, not patents (although in rare cases "implicit licensing" can be a thing if you don't act on known infringement)