Apple has filed a lawsuit against former design engineer Di Liu, alleging that he stole proprietary information related to the company’s Vision Pro and misled them about his new job after leaving. Liu, who worked at Apple for seven years, initially informed the company that he was departing to focus on family and health matters. However, unbeknownst to Apple, he had already accepted a position with Snap, the parent company of the popular augmented reality platform Snapchat.
During his tenure at Apple, Liu rose to the position of senior product design engineer and actively contributed to the research and development of the Vision Pro spatial computer. This innovative mixed-reality headset blends augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) features, enabling users to immerse themselves in digital environments. Liu’s recent job with Snap purportedly involves a role similar to what he held at Apple.
The lawsuit reveals that just days before his departure, Liu utilized his access to download a significant amount of confidential Apple documents, storing them in his personal cloud. This information included essential data on product design and supply chain strategies. Apple argues that the overlap between their proprietary information and Snap’s AR products indicates Liu’s intention to utilize this information in his role at Snap.
Moreover, Apple’s investigation of Liu’s company-issued laptop highlighted that he deliberately selected various folders to copy before sending them to his personal storage. As a result, Apple is seeking unspecified damages, a return of the stolen trade secrets, and a review of Liu’s electronic devices for any additional proprietary information. Snap has not been named as a defendant in the lawsuit and stated it does not believe the claims are connected to Liu’s conduct at their company.