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Milwaukee Bucks sail to victory over short-handed Brooklyn Nets

GIANNIS Antetokounmpo scored 32 points and to lead seven Milwaukee players in double figures as the Bucks pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 144-122 victory over the short-handed Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday in New York.

Mr. Antetokounmpo dominated inside and made 10 of 12 shots to help Milwaukee reach 140 points for the fifth time this season. He also grabbed 10 rebounds and had eight assists as the Bucks won for the eighth time in nine games.

Khris Middleton added a season-high 27 for Milwaukee. He put up at least 20 points for the third straight game and the fifth time this season as his minutes continue to increase following offseason knee surgery. In 32 minutes, he shot 11-for-18 and also handed out a season-best 10 of Milwaukee’s season-high 41 assists.

Cameron Payne added 18 and Malik Beasley added 17 after going scoreless in the Bucks’ Monday loss to the New York Knicks. The duo hit five 3-pointers apiece as Milwaukee sank 23 treys to tie a season best.

Bobby Portis contributed 14, Damian Lillard chipped in 12 and MarJon Beauchamp had 11 for the Bucks, who shot 58.4 percent from the floor.

After struggling to get a six-point win Tuesday in Detroit, Brooklyn sat Cameron Johnson (knee injury maintenance), Nic Claxton (ankle injury maintenance), Spencer Dinwiddie (rest) and Dorian Finney-Smith (left knee soreness). Starters Mikal Bridges, Royce O’Neale and Cam Thomas also sat for the final three quarters after combining for 17 points.

Rookie Jalen Wilson led Brooklyn with career highs of 21 points and 10 rebounds, but the Nets lost for the sixth time in eight games. Trendon Watford added 17 points and Dennis Smith, Jr. contributed 14 for the Nets, who shot 44.6 percent and misfired on 25 of 32 3-point tries.

The first quarter produced 12 lead changes but the Bucks sank seven treys and held a 32-31 lead. Mr. Middleton scored 10 points in the second, and

Milwaukee took a 66-59 lead on Beasley’s 3-pointer right before the halftime buzzer.

Brooklyn grabbed a 79-78 edge on a 3-pointer by Keon Johnson with 5:21 remaining in the third. The Nets trailed 88-86 before the Bucks ended the period with a 14-6 spurt and took an eight-point lead on Payne’s trey with 15.4 seconds left.

Middleton’s off-balance 3-pointer and Beauchamp’s one-handed dunk pushed the lead to 107-94 early in the fourth. Milwaukee extended the margin to 123-108 on Payne’s triple with 5:53 left and clinched the win nearly two minutes later on an Antetokounmpo dunk. — Reuters

Seoul SK survives late Meralco Bolts rally, 81-80, in EASL

THIS TIME, Meralco ran out of power to complete an epic comeback victory in the East Asia Super League (EASL).

The Bolts fought back from 12 points down but botched the potential last-gasp go-ahead to allow Seoul SK to escape, 81-80, in their first home game at the PhilSports Arena Wednesday night.

The charges of Luigi Trillo fell to 1-3 in Group B after falling short of their bid to duplicate their breakthrough 97-88 overtime come-from-behind win over Ryukyu Golden Kings in Macau two weeks ago.

The result put Meralco Bolts’ Final Four bid in jeopardy with two games left in group play.

Zach Lofton fired 11 of his 32 points in the payoff period as Meralco threatened to steal it from the Korean club after trailing most of the way.

But unlike in the previous duel with Ryukyu, the Bolts didn’t execute their final offensive perfectly in the dying seconds. Down by one with six ticks left, Chris Banchero drove to the baseline and dished it out to Prince Ibeh inside but it was broken up by KBL Most Valuable Player Kim Sun Hyung, who dribbled the other way en route to the Knights’ second W in four starts.

Mr. Ibeh shot 13 with 11 rebounds while Chris Newsome, hero of their breakthrough in Macau, also had 13 in backing up Mr. Lofton.

Knights import Jameel Warney banged in 31 as Young Jun An fired 19 spiked by five triples for the victorious visitors.

“It’s crazy man. You saw that last five minutes, it was really exciting, really crazy. We’re glad we’re out with a win because it really got a little hectic,” said Mr. Warney.

“A win is a win. We just got here yesterday (Tuesday) after playing on Christmas. So we’re tired. Our legs are tired. We have a flight tonight. We have another game on December 30th. We have a lot of games right now so we’re just happy to get a win no matter if it’s an ugly win or a beautiful win. We just want to win games.” — Olmin Leyba

The Scores:

Seoul SK 81 — Warney 31, Young Jun 19, Williams 7, Sun Hyung 7, Jae Hyun 6, Gomez de Liaño 4, Won Hyuk 3, Chang Yong 2, Buk Yong 2, Woo Sub 0, Geonu 0, Sekeun 0.

Meralco 80 — Lofton 32, Ibeh 13, Newsome 13, Hodge 8, Black 6, Banchero 5, Bates 2, Quinto 1, Mendoza 0, Almazan 0, Rio 0, Torres 0.

Quarterscores: 20-20, 45-33, 64-56, 81-80.

Saudi Arabia ready to play long game to realize dream

LONDON — A seismic year for soccer in Saudi Arabia witnessed the turbo-charging of its domestic league with expensive foreign superstars, an audacious bid to host the 2034 World Cup and the staging of FIFA’s inter-continental club tournament.

And 2024 will only be a few weeks old before Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo renew their iconic rivalry in Riyadh.

Argentina’s World Cup winning talisman Mr. Messi did not join the exodus to Saudi Arabia’s Pro League (SPL) this year, but his Inter Miami team will face Al-Nassr, Mr. Ronaldo’s club, in the so-called Riyadh Season Cup on Feb. 1.

That match lacks the gravitas of the 35 previous clashes between the two soccer icons. But it will once again thrust Saudi Arabia into the spotlight as the kingdom expands a sport portfolio already bulging with LIV Golf, boxing, tennis and F1.

When Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) bought Premier League club Newcastle United in 2021 after a protracted process accompanied by cries of ‘sports washing’, it underlined the country’s intent to follow the lead of the United Arab Emirates and Qatar — its smaller neighbors who have bank-rolled some of Europe’s biggest soccer clubs.

But Saudi Arabia wants to go further as part of its Vision 2030 project aimed at diversifying the kingdom’s economy and glossing the country’s global image.

Developing a domestic soccer league that can become one of the top-10 in world soccer is crucial and no expense is being spared in trying to make that a reality.

PIF took control of four of Saudi Arabia’s biggest clubs in June — Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad, Al-Ahli and Al-Hilal — then spent huge amounts recruiting the likes of Neymar, Karim Benzema, Riyad Mahrez, Sadio Mane and N’Golo Kante, to name a few.

Around one billion dollars of talent arrived in a head-spinning summer and as the January window opens, fans of top clubs in Europe might well wonder who is next.

Cynics might say such rapid growth from a low-profile regional league to one capable of disrupting soccer’s old order is doomed to failure, pointing to the Chinese Super League that sparkled briefly before fizzling out. — Reuters

Vikings, GB Packers paired in virtual playoff elimination game

LONGTIME rivals lock up fighting for a playoff spot and more when the Minnesota Vikings welcome the Green Bay (GB) Packers on Sunday night in Minneapolis.

Minnesota (7-8) and Green Bay (7-8) have endured up-and-down seasons and tumult at quarterback. The NFC North division title is out of reach after the Detroit Lions clinched it last week. Yet a wild-card playoff berth remains possible barring a loss Sunday.

The Vikings would boost their playoff chances to 49 percent with a win this weekend, according to playoff probability metrics. A loss? The playoff chances for the Vikings plummet to 4 percent.

The gap is even greater for Green Bay, which would boost its playoff chances to 55 percent with a win and see its chances crater to 1 percent with a loss.

Packers quarterback Jordan Love said players are embracing the stakes in what is shaping up to be a virtual playoff-elimination game.

The Packers are coming off a 33-30 road win against the Carolina Panthers in Week 16 courtesy of a last-second field goal. Mr. Love threw for two touchdowns and ran for another one in the victory. — Reuters

Suns’ Big Three

When the Suns traded for Bradley Beal six months ago, they knew they were taking a not insignificant risk. After all, he had missed a whopping 131 games over the last four years due to a cacophony of ailments. That said, they felt they needed to make a splash in the offseason to shore up their title hopes; not wanting to waste what remained of the peak years of future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant, they figured the potential upside was worth the gamble. And so they forged ahead and acquired their third marquee name even at the expense of roster depth.

The Suns went on to make more moves, and when the smoke cleared, they had all but changed the cast of characters surrounding Durant and Devin Booker. Under new head coach Frank Vogel, they believed they were set to improve on their conference semifinals showing in the last two postseasons. And, on surface, they weren’t wrong to go all in. Considering the otherworldly skill sets of their acknowledged leaders, they understood that anything less than a deep playoff run would be deemed a success.

Unfortunately, luck would not be with the Suns for the remainder of the year. Beal needed two weeks to convalesce from a back injury, and just three games to be sidelined anew. It would then take him another month to before he could trek to the court, and, once again, a mere three games to be forced out of it. This time around, a right ankle sprain felled him, and he will be reevaluated in the first week of the new year. Meanwhile, the purple and orange have been middling at best despite sterling numbers from Durant, scoring at a clip not seen in a decade.

Certainly, it hasn’t helped that Booker likewise missed nine of 29 outings to date, and that the Suns won just three matches in his absence. No one wants to lose, but setbacks become more pronounced in the face of heightened expectations. Which was why no eyebrows were raised when frustration set in following their futile effort against the rival Mavericks on Christmas Day. Their supposed Big Two managed a relatively paltry 36 even as Luka Doncic put up a whopping half century at Footprint Center.

If there’s any silver lining, it’s that there remains ample time for the Suns to do better. And though they may provisionally be 11th in West standings, only three and a half games separate them from the fourth-place Clippers. In other words, any improvement on their part will translate to major gains. Then again, their ultimate objective requires them to address systemic infirmities. Whether or not they can do so with Beal —  and, to a lesser extent, Booker and Durant — sporting brittle bodies and those around them unable to pick up the slack is anybody’s guess.

 

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.

Singapore readies sales tax hike as demographic crunch looms

Shoppers browse merchandise in a shopping mall on Orchard Road, in Singapore Dec. 23, 2022. — REUTERS

SINGAPORE — Singapore households are bracing for a sales tax hike that takes effect in the new year as the government shores up coffers ahead of an expected surge in social spending in the rapidly ageing city-state in the years ahead.

The goods and services tax, which is levied on everything from groceries to diamond rings, will be increased by one percentage point to 9% on Monday, the second phase of a two-stage rate hike. This year the sales tax was raised to 8% from the previous 7%, which had been unchanged for 15 years.

The hikes come on top of already rising living costs, prompting opposition lawmakers to call for a delay in the rise. Core inflation in Singapore has moderated to 3.2% in November from a peak of 5.5% in January and February, but remains stubborn with the central bank expecting it to average 2.5-3.5% in 2024.

The government has said the tax increment was necessary to bolster state finances as it prepares for a surge in Singapore’s ageing population and rising healthcare costs. It is estimated that a quarter of the population will be 65 and older by 2030.

In August, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong wrote in a parliamentary response that “deferring the GST increase will only store up more problems for the future, leaving us with less resources to take care of our growing fiscal needs.”

The government has handed out fiscal relief to households in an “assurance package” worth more than S$10 billion ($7.55 billion), including S$200 to S$800 paid out to all adult Singaporeans this month.

Some retailers have pledged not to pass on the tax hikes for now. Home furnishing brand IKEA said it will absorb the 1% hike but did not say when it would end the initiative, while supermarket chain FairPrice Group will absorb the hike on 500 essential items like rice and vegetables. — Reuters

Russian stars’ semi-naked party sparks fierce backlash

The Russian flag flies on the dome of the Kremlin Senate building behind Spasskaya Tower, in central Moscow, Russia, May 4, 2023. — REUTERS

MOSCOW — A rapper who attended a celebrity party with only a sock to hide his modesty has been jailed for 15 days, sponsors of some of Russia’s best known entertainers have torn up their contracts, and President Vladimir Putin is reported to be unamused.

An “almost naked” party at a Moscow nightclub held at a time when Russia is engaged in a war with Ukraine and the authorities are pushing an increasingly conservative social agenda, has provoked an unusually swift and powerful backlash.

A video clip of Mr. Putin’s spokesperson listening to an explanation from one of the stars who attended has been circulating online, and Baza, a news outlet known for its contacts with the security services, has reported that troops fighting in Ukraine were among the first to complain after seeing the footage and that photographs of the event reached an unimpressed Mr. Putin.

Dmitry Peskov, Mr. Putin’s spokesperson, on Wednesday asked reporters to forgive him for not publicly commenting on the burgeoning scandal, saying: “Let you and I be the only ones in the country who aren’t discussing this topic.”

Maria Zakharova, a spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, said that the event had “stained” those who took part, but that they now had a chance to work on themselves, according to the Ura.ru news outlet.

The fierce backlash from the authorities, pro-Kremlin lawmakers and bloggers, state media, and Orthodox Church groups has been dominating the headlines for days, displacing stories about rising egg prices and inflation.

The party, in Moscow’s Mutabor nightclub on Dec. 21, was organized by blogger Anastasia (Nastya) Ivleeva and was attended by well-known singers in various states of undress who have been staples on state TV entertainment programs for years.

Ms. Ivleeva, who has since become one of Russia’s most recognized names and who attended wearing jewelry worth 23 million rubles ($251,000) at a time when some Russians are struggling to get by, has issued two public apology videos.

In the second tearful one, released on Dec. 27, she said she regretted her actions and deserved everything she got but hoped she could be given “a second chance.”

Her name has since disappeared as one of the public faces of major Russian mobile phone operator MTS, the tax authorities have opened an investigation that carries a potential five-year jail term, and a Moscow court has accepted a lawsuit from a group of individuals demanding she pay out 1 billion rubles ($10.9 million) for “moral suffering.”

If successful, they want the money to go to a state fund that supports Ukraine war veterans.

‘CYNICAL’
“To hold such events at a time when our guys are dying in the (Ukrainian) special military operation and many children are losing their fathers is cynical,” said Yekaterina Mizulina, director of Russia’s League for a Safe Internet, a body founded with the authorities’ support.

“Our soldiers on the frontline are definitely not fighting for this.”

Many of the party’s famous participants have recorded apologies, including journalist Ksenia Sobchak whose late father Anatoly used to be Mr. Putin’s friend and boss.

The scandal comes at a time when Mr. Putin, who is expected to comfortably win another six-year term at a March election, has doubled down on social conservatism, urging families to have eight or more children, and after Russia’s Supreme Court ruled that LGBT activists should be designated as “extremists.”

Nikolai Vasilyev, a rapper known as Vacio who attended wearing only a sock to cover his penis, was jailed by a Moscow court for 15 days and fined 200,000 rubles ($2,182) for propaganda of “non-traditional sexual relations.”

Other more famous names have had concerts and lucrative state TV airtime canceled, contracts with sponsors revoked, and, in at least one case, are reportedly being cut out of a new film.

The scandal has angered those who support Russia’s war in Ukraine.

One woman who said her nephew had lost both legs in combat wrote in a post to the League for a Safe Internet that the stars should pay for prosthetic legs for her relative and others to make amends.

“That would be a better apology,” the unidentified woman wrote. — Reuters

Strike closes Eiffel Tower down on 100th anniversary of creator death

A VIEW of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, Nov. 28, 2015. — REUTERS

PARIS — The Eiffel Tower was closed on Wednesday, the 100th anniversary of its creator’s death, due to a strike, the company that oversees the tower, Societe d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel (SETE), said on the website of Paris’ most famous landmark.

“A symbolic action on a symbolic date,” said the CGT union in a statement, adding that staff members wanted to call out the current financial management of SETE. They said they feared poor decisions could lead to a cash shortage, due in part to a lack of visitors during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to expensive repairs needed on the historical building.

The statement added that if the city did not revise its management, the tower could be closed during Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The wrought-iron 324-meter (1,063 ft) high tower, built by Gustave Eiffel in the late 19th century, is among the most visited tourist sites in the world, welcoming about six million visitors each year. — Reuters

Pendulum swings towards tighter measures against transgender athletes

STOCK PHOTO | Image by Steve Bidmead from Pixabay

MANCHESTER, England – New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard’s appearance at the 2020 Tokyo Games as the first openly transgender woman to compete at the Olympics received mixed reviews in one of the most contentious areas in sport.

In the end, Hubbard retired after an inauspicious performance in Tokyo where she failed to record a valid lift.

Fast forward to 2023 and she would find herself ineligible for next year’s Paris Games after the International Weightlifting Federation tightened its eligibility rules.

Heading into 2024, there has been a seismic shift in the sporting landscape for trans athletes with the pendulum swinging back towards tighter measures on a divisive issue that has virtually no grey area.

In March, World Athletics banned transgender women who had gone through male puberty from elite female competitions – a decision federation president Sebastian Coe said was based “on the overarching need to protect the female category”.

Athletics followed a similar move made by World Aquatics in 2022 and more sport organizations have followed suit.

The International Cycling Union (UCI) in July banned trans women who had gone through male puberty from competing in the female category of competitive events. Athletes who do not qualify can enter the newly named “men/open” category.

The UCI’s new rules came two months after British Cycling’s similar ban on trans women.

Hubbard, French sprinter Halba Diouf and Welsh cyclist Emily Bridges could previously compete in the women’s category because they met testosterone level requirements.

“The only safeguard transgender women have is their right to live as they wish and we are being refused that, we are being hounded,” Diouf told Reuters after World Athletics tightened their rules.

 

BIGGEST THREAT

Anti-trans activists argue that the participation of trans women is the biggest threat to women’s sport, with much of their anger targeted at high-profile athletes such as swimmer Lia Thomas, the first openly trans athlete to win an NCAA Division 1 US national college title.

Thomas, who won the women’s 500-yard freestyle at the 2022 championships, cannot compete in the women’s category at the Paris Olympics due to World Aquatics’ new rules.

Canada’s soccer midfielder Quinn – whose case differs from Hubbard and Thomas in that Quinn was born female – became the first ever openly transgender and non-binary gold medalist at the Tokyo Olympics.

The inclusion of trans women has prompted some of the world’s greatest athletes to take sides.

Megan Rapinoe, who recently retired from the US women’s soccer team, said she would welcome a trans player on the squad.

“We as a country are trying to legislate away people’s full humanity,” Rapinoe told Time Magazine. “It’s particularly frustrating when women’s sports is weaponized. Oh, now we care about fairness? Now we care about women’s sports?”

Her comments raised the ire of tennis great Martina Navratilova, a trailblazer for gay rights, who tweeted a one-word response: “Yikes…”

Rapinoe and partner, retired WNBA star Sue Bird, were among 40 professional athletes who signed a letter to US lawmakers in April opposing a federal bill that stipulates Title IX compliance requires banning transgender athletes from playing women’s and girl’s sport.

Title IX is a 1970s civil rights law which bars discrimination based on sex.

“Certainly the pendulum is swinging back in a negative way,” Joanna Harper, a Canadian-born transgender woman and author, told Reuters in July. “There’s little doubt of that.” – Reuters

North Korea’s Kim orders military to accelerate war preparations -state media

KREMLIN.RU/EVENTS/PRESIDENT/NEWS/60363/PHOTOS-COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.ORG

SEOUL – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ordered its military, the munitions industry and the nuclear weapons sector to accelerate war preparations to counter what he called unprecedented confrontational moves by the US, state media said on Thursday.

Speaking on the policy directions for the new year at a key meeting of the country’s ruling party on Wednesday, Kim also said Pyongyang would expand strategic cooperation with “anti-imperialist independent” countries, news agency KCNA reported.

“He (Kim) set forth the militant tasks for the People’s Army and the munitions industry, nuclear weapons and civil defense sectors to further accelerate the war preparations,” KCNA said.

North Korea has been expanding ties with Russia, among others, as Washington accuses Pyongyang of supplying military equipment to Moscow for use in its war with Ukraine, while Russia provides technical support to help the North advance its military capabilities.

Mr. Kim also laid out economic goals for the new year during the meeting, calling it a “decisive year” to accomplish the country’s five-year development plan, the report said.

“He … clarified the important tasks for the new year to be dynamically pushed forward in the key industrial sectors,” and called for “stabilizing the agricultural production on a high level.”

The North has suffered serious food shortages in recent decades, including famine in the 1990s, often as a result of natural disasters. International experts have warned that border closures during the COVID-19 pandemic worsened food security.

North Korea’s crop output was estimated to have increased year-on-year in 2023 due to favorable weather conditions. But a Seoul official has said the amount was still far below what is needed to address the country’s chronic food shortages.

The 9th plenary meeting of the 8th central committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea kicked off on Tuesday to wrap up a year during which the isolated North enshrined nuclear policy in its constitution, launched a spy satellite and fired a new intercontinental ballistic missile.

The days-long assembly of the party and government officials has been used in recent years to make key policy announcements. Previously, state media released Kim’s speech on New Year’s Day. – Reuters

US to provide up to $250 mln in arms, equipment to Ukraine -Blinken

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken — COURTESY OF FACEBOOK/ANTONY BLINKEN

WASHINGTON – The US will provide up to $250 million in arms and equipment to Ukraine in the final package of aid this year to help Kyiv in its war with Russia, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday.

President Joe Biden has asked Congress to provide another $61 billion in aid to Ukraine, but Republicans are refusing to approve the assistance without an agreement with Democrats to tighten security along the US-Mexico border.

The White House has warned that without the additional appropriation U.S. aid will run out by the end of the year for Ukraine’s fight to retake territory occupied by Russian forces since it invaded in February 2022.

Mr. Blinken said the latest aid package included air defense munitions, additional ammunition for high-mobility artillery rocket systems, artillery ammunition, anti-armor munitions and over 15 million rounds of ammunition.

Congress has approved more than $110 billion for Ukraine since Russia’s invasion, but it has not approved any funds since Republicans took control of the House of Representatives from Democrats in January 2023. – Reuters

What’s next after pause of US Apple Watch import ban?

STOCK PHOTO | Image by charlie0111 from Pixabay

A US appeals court on Wednesday temporarily paused a ruling that had restricted imports of Apple’s popular Apple Watches into the United States.

Here is a look at what the case means for consumers and what is next for Apple.

 

Why was the ban imposed?

The US International Trade Commission in October ordered Apple to stop importing and selling some Apple Watches following a complaint from medical-monitoring technology company Masimo.

The ITC, a federal agency that handles international trade disputes, found that an Apple Watch feature for reading blood-oxygen levels infringed on Masimo’s pulse oximetry patents.

President Joe Biden’s administration had until Dec. 25 to veto the order based on public policy concerns but did not do so.

Cupertino, California-based Apple had preemptively paused US sales of its latest high-end Series 9 and Ultra 2 models ahead of the Christmas Day deadline.

Apple appealed the ban to the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington. The court halted the ban on Wednesday while it considers the company’s request for a longer-term pause during the appeals process.

 

How are US Apple Watch sales affected?

Wednesday’s decision allows Apple to continue importing and selling infringing Apple Watches while the court considers whether to put the ban on hold for the duration of the appeals process.

Apple Stores in New York and San Francisco told Reuters on Wednesday that they had yet to resume selling Series 9 and Ultra 2 Apple Watches and did not know when they would be available.

The ITC’s order does not affect the lower-priced Apple Watch SE, which does not have pulse-oximetry capabilities and remains on sale from Apple.

The ITC decision says it applies only to Apple Watches with the light-based pulse oximetry capability in question, but does not specify which models with that technology are affected. Apple first introduced pulse oximetry in its Series 6 watches, and Masimo has argued that all Apple Watches with the technology infringe its patents.

Apple said it would also stop replacing out-of-warranty watches going back to Series 6 based on the ban.

The ban specifically applies to Apple and its “affiliated companies, parents, subsidiaries, or other related business entities,” and may not affect other retailers.

Series 9 and Ultra 2 Apple Watches are still available from third-party sellers including Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart.

 

What are the accusations against Apple?

Masimo, which released a watch last year that also reads blood-oxygen levels and tracks other health indicators, accused Apple of hiring away its employees and stealing its technology after discussing a potential collaboration. A jury trial on Masimo’s allegations in California federal court ended with a mistrial in May and has yet to be rescheduled.

Apple has called Irvine, California-based Masimo’s legal actions a scheme to clear a path for its competing smartwatch, and has countersued Masimo for patent infringement in Delaware federal court.

 

What are Apple’s other options?

In addition to its appeal, Apple is working on a redesign that would enable its watches to operate without infringing on Masimo’s patents. It could import and sell the redesigned watches regardless of the ITC’s ban if US Customs and Border Protection approves the workaround.

Apple told the Federal Circuit on Tuesday that the customs agency is scheduled to make its decision on the workaround on Jan. 12.

Masimo has said that its patents cover hardware, and that a software fix would not work.

Masimo CEO Joe Kiani has also indicated that he is willing to settle the dispute. – Reuters

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