Apple accused of stealing technology secrets after losing engineer to Oppo

Apple has filed a lawsuit against a former employee, accusing him of stealing trade secrets related to the Apple Watch and sharing the information with his new employer, Chinese smartphone maker Oppo.

Observers say this is a defensive strategy by Apple against high-level personnel "job-hopping". Outside of court, this dispute could affect how companies approach attracting talent from rivals.

Apple accuses former engineer of stealing technology secrets when joining Oppo.

Apple previously took a similar action when it sued chip startup Rivos in 2024 for poaching dozens of engineers and stealing trade secrets. Rivos countersued Apple, alleging unfair competition, forcing them to settle the lawsuit.

In the latest case, Apple says Oppo was fully aware of the activities and consented to the collection of confidential information. The lawsuit, filed Thursday in federal court in San Jose, California, is against Shi Chen, a former sensor systems architect on the Apple Watch team.

Apple alleges Shi collected confidential information from the company before joining InnoPeak Technology, Oppo's Silicon Valley-based research arm.

According to court records, Shi worked at Apple from 2020 until June of this year. The day before he left the company, he downloaded 63 documents from a “protected Box folder” to a USB drive.

Apple also asserts that during his employment, Shi held dozens of private meetings with Apple Watch engineers to gather sensitive information about ongoing research and development projects, despite being fully aware of the importance of keeping this information confidential.

Oppo Watch has long been considered the Apple Watch of the Android world .

In particular, Apple has presented Shi sharing updates about his secret activities with Zeng Zijing, vice president of Oppo's health division. Upon receiving a message from Shi, Zeng replied "alright" with an "ok" emoji, which was "inferred" as evidence of Oppo's approval and understanding of what was going on.

In addition to stealing information, Apple also accused Shi of “misleading” his colleagues about his true intentions. He told them he was returning to China to care for his elderly parents and had no plans to look for a new job. However, he actually joined Oppo shortly after leaving Apple.

Shi is highly educated with a bachelor's degree from the University of Washington and a doctorate in electrical engineering from Columbia University before joining Apple.

Faced with these serious allegations, Oppo issued a statement in response on Saturday. The company insisted it did not “steal Apple’s trade secrets” and said it had “found no evidence to establish a link between these allegations and the employee’s conduct during his employment at Oppo.” Oppo also pledged to “actively cooperate with the legal process” and believed that “fair judicial proceedings will clarify the truth.”

Attracting top talent among tech companies is always a complicated battle.

The lawsuit comes amid growing competition in the smart wearable technology space, where companies are scrambling to develop advanced health and fitness features to appeal to consumers.

The outcome of this lawsuit is likely to have significant implications not only for the parties involved, but also for how tech companies protect sensitive information and manage their workforce in an era when tech talent increasingly moves freely between competing corporations.

Observers say this is a "bullying" move by Apple, not just a defense. The lawsuit with the startup chip company Rivos has clearly shown Apple's purpose. When encountering a "tough" company that is not easy to bully, "Apple" will turn around and settle.

Analysts predict that if Apple prevails, it could prevent similar defections and strengthen its position against Chinese manufacturers. But a defeat could energize competitors, accelerating the pace of innovation through talent-guzzling methods.