German Court Rules Apple Watch Not Actually Carbon Neutral

A German court has ruled that Apple's claim of the Apple Watch being carbon neutral is misleading. The court found that Apple misled consumers by describing the Apple Watch as a CO2-neutral product. The ruling means that Apple must alter or remove language relating to the devices being carbon neutral in German retail locations and online stores. Apple calculates the carbon footprint of an Apple Watch at around 8kg CO2, an estimated reduction of 80% compared to 2015, and offsets carbon credits for each product sold to achieve net carbon neutrality.

A German court has ruled that Apple's claim of the Apple Watch being carbon neutral is misleading. The court found that Apple misled consumers by describing the Apple Watch as a CO2-neutral product. This ruling means that Apple must alter or remove language relating to the devices being carbon neutral in German retail locations and online stores.

Apple calculates the carbon footprint of an Apple Watch at around 8kg CO2, an estimated reduction of 80% compared to 2015. The company offsets carbon credits for each product sold to achieve net carbon neutrality. However, the German court's decision suggests that Apple's marketing may have overstated the environmental benefits of its products.

The ruling comes at a time when Apple is facing legal challenges over its health technology features. Masimo Corp., a medical technology firm, has accused Apple of infringing on its pulse oximetry patents. Masimo has filed a lawsuit against U.S. Customs and Border Protection for reversing its prior ruling on the import of Apple's Series 9 and Ultra 2 watches, which had been blocked due to patent infringement claims.

The Apple Watch has been positioned as a critical health and wellness device, with Apple exploring broader ambitions such as noninvasive glucose monitoring. Rivals like Samsung Electronics and Alphabet Inc.'s Google are also advancing health-focused smartwatch features, intensifying competition in the wearable space.

Apple's stock price dropped 1.97% during regular trading and slipped an additional 0.18% in after-hours trading following the German court's ruling. Despite this, Benzinga's Edge Stock Rankings indicate that AAPL maintains strong momentum across short, medium, and long-term timeframes.

References:
[1] https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/08/47252149/apple-restores-blood-oxygen-tracking-to-watch-after-customs-ruling-masimo-strikes-back-with-lawsuit-over-patent-rights