Apple sues employee for revealing trade secrets to Oppo

(Dan Tri) - Apple has filed a lawsuit against a former engineer and rival Oppo, accusing them of appropriating and disclosing trade secrets related to the Apple Watch.

The lawsuit not only revealed sophisticated acts of industrial espionage but also showed the fierce battle in the smart wearable device market (Photo: Scmp).

Specific allegations from Apple

According to the lawsuit filed in San Jose, California (USA) federal court; the main character is Shi Chen, former sensor system architect of the Apple Watch team.

Apple said Shi — who worked at the company from 2020 until June — engaged in suspicious behavior before moving to work for InnoPeak Technology, Oppo's research arm in the United States.

Specifically, Apple alleges that just one day before quitting his job, Shi copied 63 confidential documents from the company's security system onto a personal USB drive.

Not only that, during his final days at work, he was also said to have proactively organized dozens of private meetings with other engineers on the team to collect sensitive information about ongoing research and development projects.

Apple also presented evidence that Shi informed Zeng Zijing, Oppo's vice president of health, about his activities.

To conceal his intentions, Shi is said to have lied to colleagues that he was returning to China to take care of his parents and had no plans to find a new job.

Response from Oppo

For its part, Oppo has issued an official statement, affirming that it did not "appropriate Apple's trade secrets".

“We have found no evidence to suggest a connection between these allegations and the employee’s conduct during his employment at Oppo,” the company said.

The company also pledged to actively cooperate with the legal process and believes that fair proceedings will clarify the matter.

This case is not about one individual. It reflects the increasingly fierce competition in the smart wearables market.

Oppo, one of China's largest smartphone makers, entered the smartwatch market quite late in 2020, five years after the Apple Watch launched.

According to research firm IDC, the smart wearables market in China is booming, with sales in 2024 reaching 43.17 million units, up nearly 19% from 2023. In this race, Oppo is trying to compete with major rivals such as Huawei, Xiaomi and Apple itself.

This legal battle promises to have many complicated developments, not only deciding the fate of an engineer but also possibly affecting the technology competition between two giants in the global market.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/cong-nghe/apple-kien-nhan-vien-tiet-lo-bi-mat-thuong-mai-cho-oppo-20250824010736556.htm