Oppo has responded to Apple's claims of corporate espionage, so what really happened?

Recently, Apple initiated legal action in federal court against Oppo, accusing the Chinese electronics manufacturer of stealing trade secrets through corporate espionage. This wasn't just a vague allegation—Apple backed its claims with substantial evidence pointing to deliberate misconduct involving proprietary technology.

Oppo has since issued an official response denying all accusations. The company maintains that Apple’s allegations lack merit and asserts that Chen Shi, the former Apple employee at the center of the controversy, did not engage in any improper conduct during his time at Oppo.

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.

— Oppo, August 2025

According to Apple’s court filing, Chen Shi accessed sensitive internal data late at night—just three days before his scheduled departure from the company. Even more incriminating, he allegedly copied these confidential files onto a USB storage device one day prior to leaving Apple.

At first glance, this could seem circumstantial. Maybe Shi had a legitimate reason for accessing the data? But the evidence continues to mount.

Apple didn’t stop at access logs. It presented compelling proof that Shi misled his coworkers, telling them he was returning to China to care for elderly parents. In reality, he relocated to work at an Oppo facility in the United States.

Even more telling? Communications between Shi and Oppo’s vice president of health. One message, written in Chinese and sent by Shi, clearly indicates intent to gather confidential information:

[I’ve been] reviewing various internal materials and doing a lot of 1:1 meetings in an effort to collect as much information as possible — will share with you all later.

— Bloomberg, August 2025

The response from Oppo’s executive was brief but revealing: a simple “alright” accompanied by an emoji. While minimal in wording, the reply suggests awareness and tacit approval of Shi’s actions.

Do you think Oppo is telling the truth here?

Yes, I believe Oppo 16.67%

Obviously not 70.83%

I'm unsure 12.5%

Votes 24 Back to Voting

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