Apple Sues Former Employee Over Alleged Theft of Watch Trade Secrets

Apple has sued former employee Shi Chen, alleging he stole trade secrets and shared them with Oppo. Chen allegedly downloaded 63 documents from a protected Box folder onto a USB drive a day before his departure from Apple. Apple claims Chen obtained confidential information from the company before joining Oppo's InnoPeak Technology.

Apple has filed a lawsuit against a former employee, Chen Shi, and Chinese smartphone maker Oppo, alleging that Shi stole trade secrets related to the Apple Watch and shared them with Oppo. According to the complaint, Shi, a former sensor system architect for the Apple Watch team, obtained confidential information from Apple before joining Oppo's InnoPeak Technology in Silicon Valley.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in San Jose, California, claims that Shi downloaded 63 confidential documents from a "protected Box folder" onto a USB drive a day before his departure from Apple in June 2025. Apple also alleges that Shi held dozens of one-on-one meetings with Apple Watch engineers to gather sensitive details about ongoing research and development projects while being fully aware of the importance of keeping that information confidential.

Apple claims that Shi concealed his defection to Oppo by falsely telling his colleagues at Cupertino that he was returning to China to take care of his aging parents. Instead, Shi reportedly sent a message to Oppo's vice president of health, Zeng Zijing, stating that he had been "reviewing various internal materials and doing a lot of 1:1 meetings in an effort to collect as much information as possible — will share with you all later." Zeng Zijing responded positively, confirming that Oppo was okay with Shi's actions.

Oppo has denied the allegations, stating that it has found no evidence establishing any connection between Shi's actions and his employment at Oppo. The company has also pledged to cooperate with the legal proceedings.

This lawsuit is not the first time Apple has taken legal action against one of its former employees. Earlier this summer, the company sued a design engineer for allegedly stealing trade secrets about the Vision Pro and sharing them with Snap. Additionally, Apple has been locked in a court battle with Masimo Corp. since 2020 over smartwatch technology.

[1] https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-claims-an-ex-employee-stole-apple-watch-trade-secrets-for-oppo-182636187.html
[2] https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/technology/apple-claims-former-employee-chinas-oppo-stole-trade-secrets/articleshow/123480602.cms
[3] https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3322902/apple-sues-chinas-oppo-ex-engineer-over-alleged-theft-watch-trade-secrets
[4] https://www.phonearena.com/news/apple-reveals-damning-evidence-of-technologies-stolen-by-oppo_id173485