Apple has filed a lawsuit in Northern California against Chen Shi, a former employee who left Apple and took a job at Chinese smartphone maker Oppo, reports MacRumors.
According to Apple, Shi stole trade secrets relating to Apple Watch development and provided the information to Oppo. The lawsuit says that when he resigned at Apple, She didn’t tell his colleagues that he was going to work at OPPO, but claimed he was returning to China to care for his family.
Apple says in the weeks leading up to his departure, Dr. Shi undertook to gather highly sensitive information about Apple Watch to assist the OPPO Defendants’ development of a competing wearable.
Concealing his impending employment with a direct competitor, he allegedly set up and attended dozens of one-on-one meetings with Apple Watch technical team members to learn about their ongoing research and development efforts, including their work on optical sensors, temperature sensors, and ECG sensors. Apple further claims that Shi also gathered documents detailing key aspects of its health-sensing technologies and gave them to Oppo.
Apple says he knew his conduct was inappropriate and that Oppo also knew of his activities, which they “condoned and encouraged.”
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 provided with permission from AppleWorld.Today
