Apple CEO Tim Cook told CNBC in a statement shared on live television that Apple has no intention to license Masimo’s patents. While it seemed likely that was the case, the company hadn’t said as much publicly until now.
“We’re focused on appeal,” Cook’s statement said. “There’s lots of reasons to buy the watch even without the blood oxygen sensor.”
If you don’t think intimidation has anything to do with it, then you haven’t read anything about this or similar incidents and really shouldn’t be discussing the topic. Apple has a long history of leveraging soft and hard power, economic and otherwise, to force and coerce smaller players into one-sided deals or else. Apple is pissed here because it’s usage of the power dynamic failed to extort everything it wanted from Mossimo.