AI
Apple accuses OpenAI of knowingly benefiting from stolen trade secrets
In a lawsuit, Apple presented evidence alleging that a former employee transferred confidential engineering data to OpenAI, with the company's knowledge and involvement in cover-up efforts.
TechCrunch — AI
Apple has presented new court filings in its trade-secrets lawsuit against OpenAI, arguing that the AI company not only received stolen proprietary information but was aware of how it obtained it. The allegations center on Chang Liu, who worked at Apple before joining OpenAI, and materials that surfaced after investigators examined his company-issued laptop.
What Apple alleges#
According to Apple's court submissions, Liu used confidential circuit schematics and an engineering tool derived from Apple's internal systems while employed at OpenAI. The company contends that OpenAI had knowledge of Liu's access to Apple's sensitive data and actively participated in concealing the misconduct. Apple further asserts that Liu worked with OpenAI colleague Yu-Ting Peng to destroy evidence in June after learning he was under investigation.
In a court filing, Apple stated that the investigation into Liu's MacBook "shows Apple is not conducting 'fishing expeditions' but that its trade secrets are being used and evidence is being destroyed."
The access question#
OpenAI has attributed Liu's ability to access Apple files after his departure to residual system access—a common administrative oversight rather than malicious intent. In a blog post, OpenAI claimed that Liu only retrieved files to assist former colleagues who requested help, and that Apple's failure to properly manage user permissions was the root cause.
Apple disputes this narrative, asserting that Liu exploited a rare, previously unknown authentication vulnerability to maintain access. Earlier evidence Apple provided included text messages from Liu, sent with laughing-crying emojis, that showed his awareness of continued access to Apple's systems.
Legal stakes#
Apple is seeking a preliminary injunction that would prevent OpenAI from working on hardware projects drawing on Apple's technology while litigation proceeds. The company has also requested expedited evidence discovery, citing concerns that additional former Apple employees may be implicated. According to Apple's initial complaint, over 400 former Apple workers now work at OpenAI.
TechCrunch has reached out to OpenAI for response to the latest allegations.
