Apple, Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) filed a lawsuit in California last week, accusing former senior design engineer Di Liu of stealing confidential company information before leaving to work at Snap Inc. (NYSE:SNAP).
The Details: Apple alleged that Liu downloaded thousands of sensitive files and stored them in his personal cloud accounts during his final days at the company, according to CNBC.
Liu, who worked on the Vision Pro headset, reportedly did not disclose that he was joining Snap, a competitor in the smart glasses market, when he resigned late last year.
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As a result, Apple granted him the standard two-week transition period, during which he allegedly accessed and copied proprietary files.
Apple's legal team stated that Liu used his company credentials to transfer documents containing project code names, technical details, product designs, and supply chain information.
Apple also suggested that the information Liu took could benefit Snap's augmented reality products, though Apple did not take legal action against Snap itself.
Snap responded by saying they found no evidence that the allegations related to Liu's work at their company. Apple sought damages and requested a forensic review of Liu's devices to ensure all sensitive data was deleted.
Why It Matters: Snap recently announced that it will launch Specs, a pair of lightweight, immersive AR glasses, in 2026.
Specs are described as an ultra-powerful wearable computer built into a lightweight glasses frame, featuring see-through lenses that blend digital experiences with the physical world.
In related industry news, Meta is reportedly preparing to launch a new version of its smart glasses, priced between $1,000 and $1,400, featuring a built-in screen and hand-gesture controls, as competition intensifies with Apple's $3,500 Vision Pro.
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Photo: Vision Pro, Courtesy Apple
