Apple Seeks Court Order as Trade Secrets Fight With OpenAI Grows

Apple is stepping up its legal battle against OpenAI, claiming that more former employees may have taken confidential company information before joining the AI company. The latest court filing marks a significant escalation in the ongoing trade secrets dispute and could have major implications for OpenAI’s future hardware ambitions.

The iPhone maker has now asked the court to issue a preliminary injunction, a legal order that would temporarily prevent OpenAI from moving ahead with developing AI devices or other products that Apple believes could be based on its proprietary technology.

Alongside the injunction request, Apple is also seeking expedited discovery, a process that would allow it to obtain evidence more quickly. The company wants access to information from two former Apple employees accused in the case—senior systems engineer Chang Liu and Chief Hardware Officer Tang Yew Tan—as well as OpenAI, its foundation, and io, the hardware startup co-founded by former Apple design chief Jony Ive.

According to Apple, its internal investigation has uncovered signs that the issue may involve more people than originally believed. The company says it has identified 11 additional former Apple employees who could either be witnesses or have played a role in the alleged trade secrets theft. Apple also referenced individuals already named in the original complaint, including OpenAI employee Yu-Ting Peng.

Apple argues that the newly discovered information suggests the alleged misconduct extends beyond the individuals initially accused.

One example highlighted in the filing involves another former Apple employee who allegedly met with Chang Liu and Yu-Ting Peng before Peng’s job interview at OpenAI. Apple claims the meeting included discussions about confidential company information related to products that had not yet been announced.

The filing also alleges that another former employee took screenshots of confidential Apple documents concerning an unreleased product before interviewing with OpenAI.

Apple further claims that after it filed its lawsuit, several former employees who had moved to OpenAI contacted the company about returning Apple-issued work devices that they had kept after leaving the company. According to Apple, these incidents strengthen its belief that more individuals may have been involved in the alleged misuse of intellectual property.

Because of these developments, Apple says there is good reason for the court to approve expedited discovery while its request for a preliminary injunction is still under consideration.

OpenAI has strongly rejected Apple’s latest allegations. In a public blog post, the AI company described Apple’s request for a preliminary injunction as being “both based on false information and completely unnecessary.”

OpenAI stated that it neither possesses nor wants Apple’s trade secrets, adding that its focus remains on creating innovative products and advancing AI technology.

“We’re much more interested in building innovative products and technologies that push the frontier,” the company said in its statement.

The AI company also criticized Apple over issues that had previously been reported. OpenAI claimed Apple mistakenly contacted the wrong person when first reaching out because it confused two people with similar surnames. It further alleged that Apple falsely claimed to have discussed the matter with OpenAI’s general counsel.

In addition, OpenAI argued that Apple has not acknowledged that former employees’ continued access to its systems, referred to as “residual access,” was the result of weaknesses in Apple’s own security procedures.

The legal dispute remains ongoing, with Apple seeking faster access to evidence and court intervention, while OpenAI continues to deny any misuse of Apple’s confidential technology. The outcome of the case could influence not only the relationship between the two companies but also the future of AI-powered hardware development.

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