Apple has accused the Chinese smartphone maker Oppo of benefiting from stolen Apple Watch trade secrets, allegedly leaked by a former Apple engineer who later joined Oppo. The claims surfaced in a recent court filing, an ongoing legal battle between two companies.
As per Apple’s filing, former Apple employee Chen Shi illegally downloaded confidential data related to Apple Watch sensor technology before leaving the company and later used that information to brief Oppo staff.
Apple claimed that Shi delivered a detailed presentation titled Apple Sensor Hardware R&D Philosophy and Methodology to hundreds of Oppo employees, sharing slides and technical insights directly from Apple’s internal documents.
Apple claimed that Oppo encouraged Shi’s presentation and then later failed to provide complete forensic reports or records stating the full scope of data misuse. The iPhone maker also told the court that Shi was given time to remove potentially incriminating files from Oppo’s systems after the lawsuit was filed. Apple has requested an injunction to stop Oppo from developing products using the stolen information, as well as to prohibit employees who have been exposed to Apple’s technology from working on similar projects.
Oppo, on the other hand, has denied any wrongdoing, claiming that an internal review revealed no evidence that it obtained or used Apple’s trade secrets. According to the company, Shi’s talk focused on general engineering concepts rather than proprietary Apple information. Oppo has also argued that Apple’s request for injunctive relief is baseless, claiming that it has already searched for and discovered no confidential data on its systems.
The court has ordered Oppo to turn over the requested documents by October 31, or to deliver them in batches beginning October 28 if the volume is large. Meanwhile, Shi has agreed to take a deposition but has requested a delay, citing a medical condition that may worsen due to the stress of legal proceedings.
What Apple said
Apple’s investigation revealed that before leaving the company, Shi downloaded 63 confidential files from a secure internal system and transferred them to a USB drive. He also allegedly met with Apple Watch engineers to obtain sensitive information about heart rate sensing technology, which he now uses in his current position at Oppo.
Apple is seeking damages, legal fees, and a court order prohibiting Oppo and Shi from using or sharing any of the stolen material.