Apple Sues Ex-Employee for Allegedly Stealing Apple Watch Secrets for Oppo: All You Need to Know
Apple alleges Dr. Chen Shi downloaded 63 confidential documents before joining Oppo, which encouraged his plan to acquire sensor technology trade secrets, seeking legal remedies.
- Apple filed a federal lawsuit in Northern California against Dr. Chen Shi and OPPO, alleging Shi stole Apple Watch trade secrets and OPPO approved his plan to collect proprietary information.
- Apple says Shi concealed his plans by telling colleagues he was returning to China, worked at Apple from January 2020 until a couple of months ago, then joined OPPO's Silicon Valley research unit and planned to start on 6/30.
- According to the complaint, Shi downloaded 63 protected documents and moved them to a USB drive, and Apple says he attended dozens of one-on-one meetings with Apple Watch team technical staff while searching online to erase traces like `how to wipe out macbook`.
- The complaint asks the court to bar OPPO and Dr. Chen Shi from using or disclosing Apple proprietary information, seeking injunctions, punitive damages, restitution and attorneys' fees.
- Corporate espionage is common, and this case places two major tech firms at its center, with Apple having a history of lawsuits over IP theft and alleging OPPO sought an edge in wearable technology.
28 Articles
28 Articles
Apple claims an ex-employee stole Apple Watch trade secrets for Oppo
Apple is going after another one of its previous employees for allegedly sharing trade secrets with a new employer. Apple's lawsuit listed Chen Shi, a former employee who worked on the Apple Watch team, along with Oppo, as defendants, claiming they "conspired to steal Apple’s trade secrets." According to the lawsuit, Shi worked as a Sensor System Architect for the Apple Watch from January 2020 to June 2025, but was seeking employment with Oppo a…
Apple sues ex-employee for allegedly stealing Apple Watch secrets for Oppo: All you need to know
Apple has filed a lawsuit against ex-employee Chen Shi, accusing him of stealing trade secrets about Apple Watch technology for Oppo. The company claims Shi accessed sensitive documents and held meetings to gather confidential information before his departure.
Apple accuses former Apple Watch staffer of conspiring to steal trade secrets for Oppo
Apple is suing a former employee on the Apple Watch team who left to join Oppo, alleging that he “conspired to steal Apple’s trade secrets relating to Apple Watch and to disclose them to his new employers.” Ahead of starting his new job at Oppo, the employee, Dr. Chen Shi, attended “dozens” of meetings with technical members on the Apple Watch team to learn about their work and downloaded 63 documents “from a protected Box folder” that he loaded…


Apple Watch designs allegedly stolen and provided to Oppo
Apple has accused a former Apple Watch engineer of stealing confidential sensor technology and handing it to Oppo, a Chinese rival trying to catch up in the smartwatch market.The lawsuit accuses Shi, Oppo, and InnoPeak of misappropriating trade secretsApple alleged in a court filing with the Northern District of California on August 21, 2025, that former engineer Chen Shi copied trade secrets. Shi, who worked at Apple from 2020 to 2025 as a Sens…
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