Earlier this year, Apple filed a lawsuit against Oppo over trade secrets taken by a former Apple Watch engineer. In a new court filing, Apple now claims Oppo went further, using those stolen materials in an internal presentation delivered to hundreds of its employees.
According to Apple’s filing, former Apple engineer Chen Shi downloaded 63 confidential files from the company’s secure Box repository before leaving to join Oppo. The data allegedly contained sensor research, hardware schematics, and documents detailing Apple’s heart rate sensing technology. Apple says Shi later gave a talk titled “Apple’s Sensor Hardware R&D Philosophy and Methodology,” which included slides taken directly from Apple’s protected research materials.
Oppo denies wrongdoing and says the presentation focused only on general engineering principles unrelated to Apple’s proprietary technology. The company claims it conducted a thorough search of its internal systems and found no trace of Apple trade secrets, calling Apple’s requests for injunctive relief unnecessary and unfounded.
Apple disagrees, alleging that Oppo has withheld key forensic device reports and other internal evidence that could clarify how far the information spread. The company also told the court that Shi was allowed to delete files from Oppo’s systems after the lawsuit was filed, which may have obstructed Apple’s investigation. Apple is seeking an injunction to stop Oppo from developing competing products based on its research and to quarantine employees who may have viewed confidential materials.
The court has ordered Oppo to deliver the requested documents by October 31 or begin producing them on a rolling basis starting October 28 if the review volume is high. Shi has agreed to testify in a deposition but asked to postpone it due to a medical condition that could worsen under stress. He has also requested a protective order to limit questioning.
Apple argues that the “Apple Sensors” presentation gave Oppo engineers a competitive edge by revealing insights into the company’s sensor design philosophy and product development strategy. This comes as Apple continues to expand its health sensor technology across the Apple Watch lineup, a category central to its long term health and wellness initiatives.
Apple’s latest filing expands the dispute from a trade secret complaint into a broader test of how multinational companies protect intellectual property when employees transition to competitors. The ruling could set new boundaries for safeguarding proprietary sensor research and wearable innovations in the global technology market.
via MacRumors
