Apple expands trade secrets lawsuit against OpenAI, names 11 additional former employees

Apple has escalated its legal action against OpenAI, now seeking a preliminary injunction to halt the AI company's development of devices or products built on Apple technology. The filing reveals that the scope of alleged misconduct may be far broader than initially claimed.

New allegations implicate additional employees#

Beyond the two OpenAI staff members originally named—senior systems engineer Chang Liu and Chief Hardware Officer Tang Yew Tan—Apple's ongoing investigation has uncovered potential involvement by 11 other former Apple employees. The company alleges that several of these individuals engaged in concerning conduct, including one employee who allegedly discussed confidential product information with colleagues before interviewing at OpenAI, and another who captured screenshots of proprietary documents related to unreleased products.

The filing also references multiple former Apple employees now at OpenAI who subsequently contacted the company about returning Apple-issued work devices they retained after departing, suggesting additional potential involvement in the alleged scheme.

Apple seeks expedited discovery and an injunction#

To investigate what it suspects is a larger conspiracy, Apple is requesting fast-tracked legal discovery from the accused employees, OpenAI as an entity, the OpenAI Foundation, and io, a device startup founded by former Apple design chief Jony Ive. The company has characterized its motion for a preliminary injunction as pending, positioning this legal maneuver as critical to preventing further harm.

OpenAI pushes back on claims#

OpenAI responded with a public statement, denying it possesses or desires any of Apple's trade secrets and asserting that the injunction request rests on "false information." The AI lab emphasized its focus on advancing its own technology frontier rather than exploiting competitors' intellectual property.

The company also highlighted procedural missteps by Apple, noting that the tech giant initially misdirected correspondence due to similar surname confusion, and questioned the accuracy of Apple's claims regarding interactions with its legal team. OpenAI further suggested that Apple's concerns stem partly from inadequate internal security controls rather than any intentional misappropriation.