Thursday, September 4, 2025
  • Login
Forbes 40under40
  • Home
  • Technology
  • Innovation
  • Real Estate
  • Leadership
  • Money
  • Lifestyle
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Technology
  • Innovation
  • Real Estate
  • Leadership
  • Money
  • Lifestyle
No Result
View All Result
Forbes 40under40
No Result
View All Result
Home Lifestyle

Apple claims ex-employee, China’s Oppo stole trade secrets

by Mark Darwin
in Lifestyle
Apple claims ex-employee, China’s Oppo stole trade secrets
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter


[HONG KONG] Apple accused smartphone maker Oppo in a lawsuit of poaching a highly paid member of the Apple Watch team and encouraging him to steal trade secrets for his new job with the Chinese firm.

Sensor system architect Chen Shi secretly accessed confidential documents on Apple’s health-sensing technologies for Oppo’s benefit to develop a competing wearable device before departing Apple in June, according to a complaint filed on Thursday (Aug 21) in federal court in San Jose, California.

“Concealing his impending employment with a direct competitor, Dr Shi set up and attended dozens of one-on-one meetings with Apple Watch technical team members to learn about their ongoing research,” according to the complaint.

In addition, “late at night, just three days before leaving Apple, Dr Shi downloaded 63 documents from a protected Box folder”, according to the complaint. “He then transferred them to a USB drive one day before his departure.”

Apple has filed numerous suits in recent years, accusing ex-employees and rival companies of breaching contracts and stealing valuable intellectual property. At least three of the iPhone maker’s former engineers who worked on its now abandoned electric vehicle autonomous driving project have been criminally prosecuted for allegedly taking secrets to China. The tech giant has also been locked in a court battle with Irvine, California-based Masimo since 2020 over smartwatch technology.

Shi concealed his defection to Oppo, known as Guangdong Oppo Mobile Telecommunications, by falsely telling his colleagues at Cupertino, California-based Apple that he was returning to China to take care of his ageing parents, according to the complaint.

BT in your inbox

Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox.

Apple says Shi violated a confidentiality and IP agreement, and that Oppo knew of and encouraged his activities.

Shi could not immediately be reached for comment via LinkedIn, where a profile appearing to belong to him says he has worked at Apple since 2020.

Oppo and Apple did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Apple alleges in the complaint that Shi wrote in a message in Chinese to Oppo’s vice-president of health before leaving Apple 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.”

The Oppo executive wrote “alright” in response and sent an “OK” emoji, according to the complaint.

Allowing the actions of Shi and Oppo “to go unpunished would undermine Apple’s commitment to innovation and its substantial investments in pioneering technologies such as Apple Watch”, Apple said in the complaint. “It would also risk destroying the value of Apple’s trade secrets and provide a competitor with an unfair advantage.”

After departing Apple, Shi joined Oppo’s research centre in Silicon Valley, which operates under the Oppo and InnoPeak brands, according to the complaint. BLOOMBERG

Tags: AppleChinasClaimsExEmployeeOppoSecretsStoleTrade
Mark Darwin

Mark Darwin

Next Post
China’s Dongfeng plans to list EV unit, take rest private

China’s Dongfeng plans to list EV unit, take rest private

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Forbes 40under40 stands as a distinguished platform revered for its commitment to honoring and applauding the remarkable achievements of exceptional individuals who have yet to reach the age of 40. This esteemed initiative serves as a beacon of inspiration, spotlighting trailblazers across various industries and domains, showcasing their innovation, leadership, and impact on a global scale.

 
 
 
 

NEWS

  • Forbes Magazine
  • Technology
  • Innovation
  • Money
  • Leadership
  • Real Estate
  • Lifestyle
Instagram Facebook Youtube

© 2024 Forbes 40under40. All Rights Reserved.

  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Technology
  • Innovation
  • Real Estate
  • Leadership
  • Money
  • Lifestyle

© 2024 Forbes 40under40. All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In