63 Confidential Files Suspected Transferred: Apple Sues Former Engineer and OPPO’s US R&D Center

According to AppleInsider, Apple has filed a lawsuit this week in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, accusing former Apple Watch sensor system architect Chen Shi of downloading and transferring 63 confidential files before his departure, and later joining OPPO’s InnoPeak R&D Center in the United States.

In its complaint, Apple stated that the documents covered heart rate and photoplethysmography (PPG) monitoring, ECG technology, proprietary temperature sensors, chip engineering materials, and product roadmaps. The filing also cited internal chat records indicating that Chen had communicated with OPPO executives, saying he would “try to collect Apple-related materials and share them,” while also searching phrases such as “how to wipe a MacBook” prior to leaving the company.

Apple invoked the Defend Trade Secrets Act as well as Chen’s signed confidentiality agreements, requesting the court to prohibit OPPO from using the disputed technologies and to hold Chen legally accountable.

Industry analysts noted that health sensors are a core selling point of the Apple Watch and a crucial factor in Apple’s dominance in the wearables market. They argue that this lawsuit underscores Apple’s aggressive approach to protecting its trade secrets and could have significant implications for the global competition in smart wearable devices.