Former Apple Employee Sentenced After Stealing Self-Driving Car Technology

In a significant development, the California district court has reached a verdict in the case involving Xiaolang Zhang, a former Apple employee, bringing a prolonged legal battle to a close. Zhang, who joined Apple in 2015 and left abruptly in 2018 during his parental leave, was recently sentenced to four months in prison, accompanied by three years of supervised release. Additionally, he has been ordered to pay $146,984 in damages.

During his tenure at Apple, Zhang played a key role in various projects, notably contributing to the development of Apple’s self-driving car technology known as Project Titan. However, the legal saga unfolded when it was discovered that Zhang had illicitly taken sensitive information with him upon leaving the company.

The investigation revealed that before departing for China, where he subsequently joined a smart car company called XMotors, Zhang downloaded a 25-page document containing engineering schematics of a circuit board for an autonomous vehicle. This theft of intellectual property prompted a joint inquiry by the FBI and Apple in 2018, unearthing allegations of trade secret theft.

The court proceedings disclosed that Zhang’s actions were not only a violation of trust but also a potential threat to Apple’s innovative endeavors. The stolen files included critical data related to Project Titan, raising concerns about the protection of intellectual property in the tech industry.

This case highlights the importance of safeguarding proprietary information in the fiercely competitive landscape of smart car technology. As the legal chapter concludes with Zhang’s sentencing, it serves as a reminder of the consequences individuals may face when attempting to compromise trade secrets in the pursuit of personal gain.