[REVISION HISTORY]

Apple-OpenAI trade secret litigation

Updated 5 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-10-15 10:19 UTC → 2026-10-15 12:47 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Apple and OpenAI are engaged in a federal trade secret misappropriation lawsuit involving allegations that former Apple employees illicitly transferred confidential hardware engineering information to benefit OpenAI and Jony Ive’s startup, io Products. Apple is seeking a preliminary injunction to protect proprietary data regarding metal-finishing and power-management processes. In the early stages of the dispute, OpenAI filed a request to strike expert declarations and dismiss new evidence introduced by Apple, arguing that the company improperly used its reply brief to introduce 126 pages of late testimony and 13 exhibits. U.S. District Judge Edward Davila has ~~since~~ ordered OpenAI to expedite the release of recruitment records related to former Apple employees. OpenAI must provide collected materials within five days and any other requested documents within 14 days. This includes interview checklists, guides, manuals, scripts, and technical presentations used for OpenAI’s consumer hardware and robotics teams. Apple intends to use these to determine if proprietary technologies were discussed during recruitment. Furthermore, the judge authorized Apple to review private LINE messages between former Apple employees Chang Liu and Alyssa Peng, and approved depositions for Liu, Peng, and OpenAI’s chief hardware officer, Tang Yew Tan. While the court granted expedited discovery for these specific hiring materials and messages, it denied Apple’s broader requests for access to OpenAI’s general research and development files regarding power management and metal finishes. In a counter-allegation, OpenAI filed a petition claiming a former employee transferred over 100 files regarding an unreleased product to a personal account and subsequently presented that information to Apple executives. OpenAI claims this individual expressed concern that Apple’s engineers might use these secrets to shape upcoming products, such as the recently announced HomeView. Apple has denied these claims, stating it has found no evidence of such misconduct.

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