TECH - Apple Issues Internal Memo Telling Employees Not To Guide Customers Where They Can Buy Watches | Benzinga
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) had issued a memo to customer service representatives, instructing them not to guide customers to places where they could buy the watches as a result of ongoing legal proceedings.
What Happened: The memo appeared after Apple decided to stop the sales of Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 on Thursday. Its retail stores will end sales by Christmas Eve, reported Bloomberg on Tuesday.
Despite the ruling, large retailers such as Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT), Best Buy Co. (NYSE:BBY), and Target Corp. (NYSE:TGT) can continue selling the watches due to a legal loophole. However, Apple’s employees have been instructed not to guide customers to these retailers for purchases.
The International Trade Commission (ITC) ruled in October that Apple’s flagship watches infringed a patent owned by Masimo Corp. for measuring blood oxygen. Unless an eleventh-hour pardon from U.S. President Joe Biden, Apple will need to halt ...