Apple has filed a legal cause against Oppos accusing the Chinese company of having Subtracted commercial secrets relating to the Apple Watch through a former employee. The story, which features an engineer specialized in sensory systems, is only the last chapter of a series of disputes related to the theft of intellectual property in the technological sector. But what happened?
Follow Apple Italia on Telegram, Receive news and offers first
Who is the engineer at the center of the dispute
According to what emerges from the complaint filed at the Federal Court and reported by Bloomberg, Chen Shiarchitect of sensory systems at Apple, would be the one who orchestrated the plan to transfer information reserved for Oppo before leaving the Cupertino company. The engineer had communicated to colleagues that he had to return to China to take care of the elderly parents, instead hiding his intention of joining the research team of the rival company.
During the period before his resignation, Shi would have participated in dozens of meetings with the technical staff of the Apple Watch, using these meetings to collect detailed information on the current research in the field of sensors for health monitoring. An activity that, supports Apple, was aimed at obtaining a competitive advantage for Oppo in the development of wearable technologies.
The transfer of reserved documents
Apple’s legal cause reveals very specific and punctual details on modalities with which commercial secrets would have been subtracted. In particular, it reads that three days before leaving Apple last June, Shi would download 63 documents protected during the night, transferring them later to a USB unit the day before his departure from the company.
The communications mentioned in the complaint show how the engineer has maintained direct contacts with the Oppo managers during his job at Apple. In a message sent to the vice -president of the Health Division of Oppo, Shi would have written to Star “collecting as many information as possible“, To be shared later. The manager’s answer, a simple emoji”Ok“, It is played by Apple as proof of the awareness and encouragement of the Chinese company.
The accusations against Oppo
Apple therefore argues that Oppo not only was aware of Shi’s actions, but he even actively encouraged them to obtain privileged access to competing technologies in the wearable devices sector. A strategy that would have allowed the Chinese company to accelerate the development of its products using research and innovations developed internally by Apple.
Currently, Shi is employed at the Oppo Research Unit in Silicon Valley, strengthening according to Apple the thesis that the entire operation was preordained and coordinated between the engineer and the new employer company.
A recurring scheme for Apple
As we have already anticipated a few lines ago, the controversy fits into a much wider picture of legal battles that Apple has undertaken over the years to protect its intellectual property. The Cupertino company has a long history of judicial proceedings against former employees and rival companies accused of undue appropriation of commercial secrets.
Among the best -known cases we quickly mention the disputes related to the autonomous automotive project then abandoned by Apple and the legal battle in progress with Masimo for the patents relating to smartwatches.
