Apple Reaches Settlement in High-Profile Trade Secret Case Against Former Vision Pro Engineer
Apple has officially settled its trade secret lawsuit against Di Liu, a former system product design engineer for the Vision Pro who spent his final days at the company surreptitiously copying thousands of confidential files to his personal iCloud account. The settlement was filed this week with the Santa Clara County Superior Court, bringing closure to a case that exposed significant corporate espionage concerns within the tech giant's ranks.
Details of the Settlement Agreement and Public Apology
The settlement requires Liu to return all Apple confidential material in his possession and pay an undisclosed amount in damages to the company. In a notable development, Liu posted a public apology on his LinkedIn profile, where he admitted to having "dumbly downloaded Apple confidential information" and characterized his actions as "a lapse in judgment." He further acknowledged that the consequences have "created significant impediments" in both his personal and professional life.
The engineer's career trajectory took a dramatic downward turn, going from a senior engineering role at Apple to unemployed within a year—a steep professional fall that underscores the serious repercussions of corporate intellectual property theft.
The Timeline of Deception and Data Theft
Liu resigned from Apple in late October 2024, telling his manager he wanted more time with his family. What he concealed was that Snap had already sent him an offer letter eighteen days earlier. Apple, unaware of this development, granted him the standard two-week notice period with full system access intact.
He exploited this access extensively. Three days before his final day at Apple, Liu copied over a dozen folders from his work laptop into a personal iCloud folder he boldly named "Knowledge." The stolen files included:
- Design schematics for Apple products
- Supply chain data and logistics information
- Research and development records
- Internal documents stamped "Apple Confidential"
Many of these documents were specifically tied to the Vision Pro project, where Liu had worked as a system product design engineer since 2017, giving him access to some of Apple's most sensitive augmented reality technology developments.
Career Consequences and Snap's Position
Apple filed its lawsuit in June 2025, and Liu left his position at Snap that same month—and hasn't worked there since. The lawsuit effectively cost him the Snap job he had secured through deception. Snap is not a defendant in the case and stated it had "no reason to believe" the matter was connected to Liu's work at their company.
This case highlights the ongoing challenges technology companies face in protecting intellectual property from internal threats, particularly when employees transition between competing firms. The settlement serves as a warning to tech professionals about the severe consequences of misappropriating confidential corporate information.
