Latest news with #Apple-issued
Hans India
2 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
Apple Sues Former Engineer for Allegedly Stealing Vision Pro Secrets Before Joining Snap
Apple has filed a lawsuit against a former senior engineer, Di Liu, alleging he stole sensitive company information related to its upcoming Vision Pro headset just before moving to Snap Inc. According to legal documents submitted in California on June 24, 2025, Liu, who worked at Apple from 2017 until his resignation in 2024, is accused of downloading thousands of confidential files in his final days with the company. Apple claims the data transfer occurred while Liu still had access to his company-issued laptop and credentials. Liu served as a system product design engineer on the Vision Pro, a highly anticipated mixed-reality headset positioned as Apple's most ambitious entry into the spatial computing space. The tech giant alleges that the documents Liu took included proprietary hardware designs, technology architecture, internal project codenames, and even sensitive supply chain details. What raises further concern for Apple is Liu's undisclosed move to Snap—a direct competitor in the augmented reality market, known for its Spectacles smart eyewear. Because Liu did not reveal his new employer during his resignation process, he was granted a standard two-week transition period, during which Apple alleges he misused his active credentials to access and extract classified materials. In the legal filing, Apple's attorneys stated, 'Worse still, the review of Liu's Apple-issued work laptop also shows that while maintaining access to Apple's Proprietary Information under false pretences, he used his Apple credentials to exfiltrate thousands of documents... from Apple's secure file storage systems.' While the lawsuit is directed solely at Liu, Apple's legal team highlights the suspicious overlap between the content of the documents allegedly taken and Snap's work in AR technologies. Though Snap is not named as a defendant, the implication is clear: Apple sees Liu's new position as a potential risk to its competitive edge. This legal action is part of Apple's broader push to protect its intellectual property. In previous cases, Apple pursued former employees suspected of leaking sensitive information, including a 2022 settlement with ex-employee Simon Lancaster and a 2024 lawsuit against Andrew Aude, which was later dropped after he apologized. As the case develops, all eyes are on how the court will interpret Liu's actions and whether Apple's claims of corporate espionage will hold up under scrutiny.
India Today
2 days ago
- Business
- India Today
Apple sues former employee for stealing and trading Vision Pro secrets
In yet another legal twist spotlighting Apple's unrelenting efforts to guard its confidential innovations, the iPhone maker has filed a lawsuit against a former senior engineer, accusing him of stealing sensitive company files before joining Snap, the parent firm of Snapchat and a known player in augmented reality hardware. Filed in California on June 24, 2025, the lawsuit accuses Di Liu, who had worked at Apple from 2017 until his resignation in 2024, of secretly downloading thousands of confidential documents in the days leading up to his departure. Apple claims these files were transferred to Liu's personal cloud storage while he still possessed his company-issued laptop and Apple, Liu served as a system product design engineer on its high-profile Vision Pro headset. This mixed-reality device represents the company's boldest venture into the spatial computing market. According to Apple, many of the files Liu is alleged to have taken related directly to proprietary information involving hardware design, technology architecture, project codenames, and even details of Apple's supply chain Apple says Liu failed to disclose during his exit process that he was joining Snap, a competitor in the augmented reality space and the maker of Spectacles, smart eyewear aimed at similar markets. Because of this lack of transparency, Liu was granted the usual two-week transition period after his resignation. During this time, Apple claims he used his still-active credentials to access and extract highly confidential information from the company's secure internal In the legal filing, Apple's lawyers criticised Liu's conduct as both deceitful and damaging, 'Worse still, the review of Liu's Apple-issued work laptop also shows that while maintaining access to Apple's Proprietary Information under false pretences, he used his Apple credentials to exfiltrate thousands of documents... from Apple's secure file storage systems.'Though Apple's lawsuit targets Liu alone, the company implies a strong link between the information allegedly taken and Liu's current responsibilities at Snap. Apple's legal team noted the overlap between the Vision Pro-related documents and Snap's own augmented reality products, suggesting that Liu may intend to apply Apple's proprietary knowledge in his new role as a product design engineer at the rival Snap is not named as a defendant in the case, the lawsuit subtly positions the social media company within the broader narrative of competitive risk, given the overlap in product aggressive legal stance in this case is not an isolated one. Over recent years, the company has gone to considerable lengths to pursue former employees whom it suspects of leaking internal information or intellectual property. Back in 2022, Apple reached a settlement with ex-employee Simon Lancaster, who had been accused of supplying confidential information to a journalist. Another high-profile case emerged in early 2024, when Apple sued engineer Andrew Aude for allegedly leaking sensitive material to the press. That lawsuit was eventually dropped after Aude issued an apology.- Ends
NBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- NBC News
Apple sues former Vision Pro employee for allegedly stealing 'thousands of documents' before joining Snap
Apple has accused a former engineer for its Vision Pro headset computer of stealing company trade secrets before starting a new job at Snap, according to a lawsuit filed in California last week. In the June 24 court filing, Apple accuses Di Liu, a senior design engineer, of downloading thousands of documents in his final days at the Cupertino company last year and saving them to his personal cloud accounts. This lawsuit is the latest example of Apple publicly going after a former employee for leaking internal information. Apple is an intensely secretive company, and lawsuits like this one highlight how the iPhone maker exercises tight control over its internal information, even if it has to pursue legal action against former staff. Apple alleges that Liu didn't inform the company when he resigned late last year that he was headed to Snap, a competitor and maker of smart glasses. As a result, Apple did not shut off his access to accounts and allowed him a customary two-week transition period, which he used to download company files, according to the lawsuit. 'Worse still, the review of Mr. Liu's Apple-issued work laptop also shows that while maintaining access to Apple's Proprietary Information under false pretenses, he used his Apple credentials to exfiltrate thousands of documents containing Proprietary Information from Apple's secure file storage systems,' the iPhone maker's lawyers said in the filing. Many of the files downloaded by Liu had codenames for Apple projects and described the company's technology, product design and supply chain, according to the lawsuit. Apple says that all employees agree to keep Apple files confidential and that Liu broke confidentiality agreements he made when he joined. Liu worked for Apple between 2017 and 2024, according to the lawsuit. Liu worked on Apple's Vision Pro headset as a system product design engineer, per the filing. Liu did not respond to a request for comment from CNBC. Apple lawyers wrote that Liu could use the trade secrets in his work at Snap. Apple is not suing Snap, and the social media company did not respond to a request for comment. 'The overlap between Apple's Proprietary Information that Mr. Liu retained and Snap's AR products (for which Mr. Liu is a 'product design engineer') suggests that Mr. Liu intends to use Apple's Proprietary Information at Snap,' according to the filing. Apple is seeking damages and for Liu to have his devices inspected by a forensic examiner to make sure all the trade secrets are deleted. The iPhone maker has sued several former employees in recent years for taking files when they left the company. Apple settled with former engineer Simon Lancaster in 2022 over providing information to a journalist. Apple also sued a former employee, Andrew Aude, in 2024 over leaking details to the media. That lawsuit was dismissed after Aude apologized. The Cupertino company sued Rivos, a chip startup staffed by former Apple semiconductor employees, over its intellectual property, and settled in 2024. Additionally at least three former Apple employees have also been arrested and accused by the government of taking company secrets and giving them to China-linked organizations. One pled guilty and was sentenced to four months in prison, and two are still in proceedings.
CNBC
2 days ago
- Business
- CNBC
Apple sues former Vision Pro employee for allegedly stealing 'thousands of documents' before joining Snap
Apple has accused a former engineer for its Vision Pro headset computer of stealing company trade secrets before starting a new job at Snap, according to a lawsuit filed in California last week. In the June 24 court filing, Apple accuses Di Liu, a senior design engineer, of downloading thousands of documents in his final days at the Cupertino company last year and saving them to his personal cloud accounts. This lawsuit is the latest example of Apple publicly going after a former employee for leaking internal information. Apple is an intensely secretive company, and lawsuits like this one highlight how the iPhone maker exercises tight control over its internal information, even if it has to pursue legal action against former staff. Apple alleges that Liu didn't inform the company when he resigned late last year that he was headed to Snap, a competitor and maker of smart glasses. As a result, Apple did not shut off his access to accounts and allowed him a customary two-week transition period, which he used to download company files, according to the lawsuit. "Worse still, the review of Mr. Liu's Apple-issued work laptop also shows that while maintaining access to Apple's Proprietary Information under false pretenses, he used his Apple credentials to exfiltrate thousands of documents containing Proprietary Information from Apple's secure file storage systems," the iPhone maker's lawyers said in the filing. Many of the files downloaded by Liu had codenames for Apple projects and described the company's technology, product design and supply chain, according to the lawsuit. Apple says that all employees agree to keep Apple files confidential and that Liu broke confidentiality agreements he made when he joined. Liu worked for Apple between 2017 and 2024, according to the lawsuit. Liu worked on Apple's Vision Pro headset as a system product design engineer, per the filing. Liu did not respond to a request for comment from CNBC. Apple lawyers wrote that Liu could use the trade secrets in his work at Snap. Apple is not suing Snap, and the social media company did not respond to a request for comment. "The overlap between Apple's Proprietary Information that Mr. Liu retained and Snap's AR products (for which Mr. Liu is a 'product design engineer') suggests that Mr. Liu intends to use Apple's Proprietary Information at Snap," according to the filing. Apple is seeking damages and for Liu to have his devices inspected by a forensic examiner to make sure all the trade secrets are deleted. The iPhone maker has sued several former employees in recent years for taking files when they left the company. Apple settled with former engineer Simon Lancaster in 2022 over providing information to a journalist. Apple also sued a former employee, Andrew Aude, in 2024 over leaking details to the media. That lawsuit was dismissed after Aude apologized. The Cupertino company sued Rivos, a chip startup staffed by former Apple semiconductor employees, over its intellectual property, and settled in 2024. Additionally at least three former Apple employees have also been arrested and accused by the government of taking company secrets and giving them to China-linked organizations. One pled guilty and was sentenced to four months in prison, and two are still in proceedings.
