Apple escalates legal battle with OpenAI over trade secrets theft
Apple files for injunction, alleging 13 ex-employees stole confidential data for OpenAI
Apple has intensified its legal battle with OpenAI, filing for a preliminary injunction to prevent the AI company from developing products based on alleged stolen trade secrets. The iPhone giant claims that 13 former Apple employees—beyond the two initially named—may have been involved in the theft, including sharing confidential documents about unannounced products. In a court filing, Apple alleges that some ex-employees took screenshots of proprietary data before interviewing at OpenAI and even discussed returning Apple-issued devices after the complaint was filed.
OpenAI has pushed back strongly, calling Apple’s claims “both based on false information and completely unnecessary.” The AI lab argues it has no interest in Apple’s trade secrets and accused Apple of prior missteps, including emailing the wrong contact and blaming OpenAI for Apple’s own security lapses. OpenAI also alleged that Apple lied about discussions with its general counsel. The escalation highlights growing tensions between tech giants over intellectual property in the AI era, with both sides trading accusations of mismanagement and bad faith.
- Apple is seeking a preliminary injunction against OpenAI, alleging trade secrets theft by 13 former employees, including senior engineers Chang Liu and Tang Yew Tan.
- Apple claims ex-employees shared confidential data on unannounced products and even discussed returning Apple devices after the lawsuit was filed.
- OpenAI denies all allegations, calling Apple’s claims baseless and pointing to Apple’s own security failures and prior miscommunications.
Why It Matters
This legal battle underscores the high stakes of IP protection in AI development, where trade secrets can define competitive advantage.