Apple Sues Ex-Employee Who Allegedly Stole Apple Watch Secrets for Chinese Rival Oppo [Updated]

[MacRumors]

Apple today filed a lawsuit in Northern California against Chen Shi, a former employee who left Apple and took a job at Chinese smartphone maker Oppo. According to Apple, Shi stole trade secrets relating to Apple Watch development and provided the information to Oppo.

Shi was a "highly compensated Sensor System Architect" at Apple from January 2020 to June 2025, which meant he had access to "valuable trade secret information," including the Apple Watch design, development documentation, internal specifications, and product roadmap.

Apple says that Shi told the company he was returning to China to care for his elderly parents, with no mention that he had accepted a position at Oppo. While in the process of leaving Apple, Shi allegedly collected sensitive Apple Watch documents and attended "dozens" of one-on-one meetings with Apple Watch technical team members to "learn about their ongoing research and development efforts."

Three days before leaving Apple, Shi downloaded 63 files from Apple's protected Box folder and transferred them to a USB drive. After downloading the files, he searched for information on how to wipe a MacBook and whether someone could see if he'd opened a file on a shared drive. Further, Shi sent a message to his Oppo employers letting them know that he would "collect as much information as possible" to share with them, specifically sourcing data on heart rate sensing methods. At Oppo, Shi is now leading a team that is developing sensing technology.

Apple is asking for an injunction prohibiting Oppo and Shi from using or disclosing Apple's trade secrets, restitution, damages, punitive damages, and attorneys' fees.

​

Update — August 23: A spokesperson for OPPO provided MacRumors with the following statement:

We are aware of the recent lawsuit filed by Apple in California and have carefully reviewed the allegations in Apple's complaint. We have found no evidence establishing any connection between these allegations and the employee's conduct during his employment at OPPO.

OPPO respects the trade secrets of all companies, including Apple, and OPPO has not misappropriated Apple's trade secrets. OPPO will actively cooperate with the legal process, and we are confident that fair judicial proceedings will clarify the facts.

Article Link: Apple Sues Ex-Employee Who Allegedly Stole Apple Watch Secrets for Chinese Rival Oppo [Updated]

 

[DocMultimedia]

And that was a smart Apple employee? "Siri, how do I steal Apple technologies?"

 

[canpoyrazoglu]

I don't understand how otherwise really smart people do these apparently dumb things.

I mean you have a good, respected job, you are paid well, this would be the possibly the dumbest way to destroy your career and potentially life.

Sure they might have gotten a better offer in some aspect, but was it worth it? Time will show.

 

[Adoniram]

What good does suing him do? He's in China, will never return, and China will never pursue him there (he likely got highly rewarded, both at Oppo and within the CCP).

 

[germanbeer007]

doubling down on secrecy

 

[Adoniram]

I don't understand how otherwise really smart people do these apparently dumb things.

I mean you have a good, respected job, you are paid well, this would be the possibly the dumbest way to destroy your career and potentially life.

Sure they might have gotten a better offer in some aspect, but was it worth it? Time will show.

The CCP holds leverage over its citizens by threatening to seriously degrade a person's family's quality of life unless they do something (or stop doing something). He was likely coerced for the sake of his family.

 

[AdamHarbour]

Did he tell them how blood oxygen works , cause it a Apple secret 🤫 😂

 

[jhowarth]

It is hilarious to watch Apple complain about losing Tech to China when they have trained Chinese workers in tech since 2015 to twice the inflation corrected value of the Marshall Plan for all of Europe. Sorry, you did all of this to yourselves.

 

[CapitalIdea]

Since they appear to have a paper trail and Oppo was fine with him doing this, I wouldn't feel bad if Apple absolutely buried Oppo legally.

 

[SunMac]

Why is this showing up at the end of this article on the front page?
Never seen this before.

 

[johannnn]

I wouldn't feel bad if Apple absolutely buried Oppo legally.

Good luck suing a Chinese company

lol remember when Huawei even had a bonus program for stealing trade secrets? https://www.businessinsider.com/huawei-indictment-trade-secrets-2019-1?op=1

 

[Hewhowalksbehindtherows]

Apple today filed a lawsuit in Northern California against Chen Shi, a former employee who left Apple and took a job at Chinese smartphone maker Oppo. According to Apple, Shi stole trade secrets relating to Apple Watch development and provided the information to Oppo.

Shi was a "highly compensated Sensor System Architect" at Apple from January 2020 to June 2025, which meant he had access to "valuable trade secret information," including the Apple Watch design, development documentation, internal specifications, and product roadmap.

Apple says that Shi told the company he was returning to China to care for his elderly parents, with no mention that he had accepted a position at Oppo. While in the process of leaving Apple, Shi allegedly collected sensitive Apple Watch documents and attended "dozens" of one-on-one meetings with Apple Watch technical team members to "learn about their ongoing research and development efforts."

Three days before leaving Apple, Shi downloaded 63 files from Apple's protected Box folder and transferred them to a USB drive. After downloading the files, he searched for information on how to wipe a MacBook and whether someone could see if he'd opened a file on a shared drive. Further, Shi sent a message to his Oppo employers letting them know that he would "collect as much information as possible" to share with them, specifically sourcing data on heart rate sensing methods. At Oppo, Shi is now leading a team that is developing sensing technology.

Apple is asking for an injunction prohibiting Oppo and Shi from using or disclosing Apple's trade secrets, restitution, damages, punitive damages, and attorneys' fees.

​

Article Link: Apple Sues Ex-Employee Who Allegedly Stole Apple Watch Secrets for Chinese Rival Oppo

What is going on? The tech industry seems to have its share of untalented thieving types.

 

[Joker1977]

I can just imagine the immense damage to Apple if he discloses the product roadmap for AW. All the spring colour band options would be copied!

 

[FatLouie]

Since they appear to have a paper trail and Oppo was fine with him doing this, I wouldn't feel bad if Apple absolutely buried Oppo legally.

Given the current state of Sino-US politics, I would not be surprised to see the Chinese legal authority pursue OPPO if Apple prevails in court—one of those 'favor for a favor' arrangements. The U.S. could issue enough 'holds' and arrest warrants on Shi that he would likely never be able to leave China again. He probably could not even go to Taiwan.

 

[ghanwani]

This is making news because it's Apple, but this kind of stuff happens everywhere. It's not even limited to tech or big corps. I have even seen local restaurants suing former employees that stole recipes and opened their own near-identical restaurant.

Edit: Folks are misinterpreting what I wrote so I need to clarify. This is not intend to endorse what the employee did.
Edit 2: I now understand this didn't make regular news headlines, it just mentioned here on MR.

 

[TVreporter]

Guess his time has run out.

Wonder if he got caught by searching for info on the heart rate sensor?

 

[Scipster]

The highly compensated Sensor System Architect should have known better. Stealing trade secrets the employer stole from Masimo is forbidden!

 

[Plutonius]

Good luck trying to sue someone or a company in China.

Cultures have different beliefs on intellectual property rights and it's something to consider when hiring people.

 

[tennisproha]

So is there gonna be an injunction preventing Oppo from selling watches or are Masimo and the like just targeting Apple looking for a payday?

 

[BaggieBoy]

Why is this showing up at the end of this article on the front page?
Never seen this before.

It a PDF of the lawsuit allegations.

 

[Astuces iOS]

Apple should start to make tv shows about their sues

 

[pdaholic]

If anybody wants to pay me for secret Apple watch product roadmap information, I'll risk the lawsuit.

And to prove I have real info, I'll give you an exclusive couple of details about forthcoming models: square watches with poor battery life.

 

[apparatchik]

What good does suing him do? He's in China, will never return, and China will never pursue him there (he likely got highly rewarded, both at Oppo and within the CCP).

Oppo is a worldwide company and can be found liable for substantial damages that then Apple could collect, for one.

 

[russell_314]

Shi told the company he was returning to China

That’s the end of that.

 

[555gallardo]

Working from 2020 until 2025, she’s been able to leak up to 2 new Apple Watch features to Oppo.