A federal jury ruled on Friday that early models of Masimo's smartwatches infringed on two of Apple's design patents, marking a significant moment in the ongoing intellectual property conflict between the two companies.

The jury, convened in Delaware, sided with Apple, concluding that earlier versions of Masimo's W1 and Freedom watches, along with their chargers, willfully violated Apple's patent rights related to smartwatch designs.

However, the jury awarded Apple, a company valued at approximately $3.5 trillion, only $250 in damages, which is the minimum statutory amount for patent infringement in the United States.

Apple's legal representatives emphasized that the primary goal of the lawsuit was not financial compensation but rather to secure an injunction against the sale of Masimo's smartwatches following a ruling on infringement.

In a related finding, the jury determined that Masimo's current smartwatch models did not infringe on the patents that Apple claimed were copied.

Masimo expressed its gratitude for the jury's decision, stating it was "in favor of Masimo and against Apple on nearly all issues," and noted that the ruling pertained only to a "discontinued module and charger."

"Apple's main objective was to obtain an injunction against Masimo's current products, and the jury's verdict represents a victory for Masimo on that front," the company stated.

In response, Apple expressed satisfaction with the jury's decision, asserting that it would help safeguard the innovations developed for its customers.

Masimo, based in Irvine, California, has accused Apple of poaching its employees and misappropriating its pulse oximetry technology after discussions about a potential partnership.

Last year, Masimo successfully persuaded the U.S. International Trade Commission to prohibit the importation of Apple's Series 9 and Ultra 2 smartwatches, as the commission found that their blood oxygen level reading technology infringed on Masimo's patents.

Apple has filed an appeal against the ruling and has restarted the sale of its watches after eliminating the contested technology. In 2022, the tech giant initiated a countersuit against Masimo for patent infringement, claiming that Masimo had replicated features from the Apple Watch for its own smartwatches.

Additionally, Apple alleged that Masimo was leveraging legal actions at the ITC and in California to facilitate the launch of its own smartwatch.

In response, Masimo characterized Apple's patent lawsuit as "retaliatory" and an effort to evade the court where both companies have been engaged in litigation.