AppleZulu
"No comment" doesn't really speak to the White House's intent. The situation as described is a big game of high-stakes poker. Masimo just wants Apple to give them money, to settle. They figure the closer we get to the import ban going into effect, the higher the price they can demand from Apple, if Apple blinks. Apple may feel they're in the right and flat out don't want to settle, or at least don't want to settle if the White House could overturn the import ban, knocking out Masimo's leverage. Their announcement that they're preparing to pull the devices from shelves is an "all in" poker bet. Maybe they're bluffing, maybe they think they have the right cards. The White House of course would really prefer not to get involved. Regardless of the actual merits of the dispute, if they overrule the ban, they'll be accused of penalizing an aggrieved underdog. If they let it go through, they'll be accused of feeding a patent troll. They probably already know exactly what their decision would be, but they're waiting for a settlement to get them out of having to say.
This will probably go down to the wire on Christmas day, but that really doesn't say much about whether or not the White House will overrule the import ban or let it go into effect.
