A high-stakes lawsuit has emerged, spotlighting a significant clash within the smart wearable sector. Apple has leveled serious allegations against one of its former engineers, claiming the theft of proprietary sensor technology, allegedly disseminated to the competing firm Oppo. This legal action, initiated by the tech titan from Cupertino, could severely implicate Oppo and its affiliated brands should the charges be validated.
The suit, filed in the Northern District of California, accuses Chen Shi, a former engineer in the Apple Watch division, of purloining sensitive trade secrets just prior to his transition to InnoPeak Technology, Oppo’s American research subsidiary.
Apple Initiates Legal Action Against Former Employee
In its court documents, detailed by Macrumors.com, Apple asserts that Shi occupied the role of Sensor System Architect from 2020 until 2025. In the waning weeks of his tenure, he allegedly downloaded and transferred 63 confidential files onto a USB device.
Among the pilfered data are proprietary health technologies integral to the Apple Watch, encompassing advanced features such as photoplethysmography (PPG), electrocardiography (ECG), and temperature measurement methodologies.
The files purportedly encompassed essential chip engineering specifications and product development roadmaps. If leveraged by Oppo, this information could afford the company substantial shortcuts, sidestepping years of extensive research and development, thereby facilitating preemptive product planning aimed at counteracting Apple’s offerings.
Apple Presents Supporting Evidence
Apple has bolstered its claims with corroborative evidence, including internal communications where Shi purportedly conveyed to an Oppo executive his intent to “collect as much information as possible” from Apple for later dissemination, to which the executive responded with an acknowledgment.
The lawsuit further alleges Shi’s endeavors to obscure his actions, reflected in his online inquiries about “how to wipe a MacBook” and “ways to avoid detection on a shared drive.”
He is also accused of misleading coworkers regarding his departure, asserting that he was resigning to attend to his elderly parents.
This legal challenge underscores the pivotal role of health sensors in Apple’s overarching wearable strategy. Over the years, Apple has meticulously refined its hardware and algorithms to deliver industry-leading health metrics through wearable devices. The company’s lawsuit seeks to thwart Oppo from illicitly capitalizing on this stolen intellectual property.
Meanwhile, Oppo has yet to issue a formal response regarding this contentious issue.
Source link: Financialexpress.com.
