Which former Apple employees are named in the lawsuit?

Chang Liu, who worked on Apple's "most sensitive product development programs" and left in January, and Tang Tan, OpenAI's chief hardware officer, whom Apple accused of seeking proprietary information during interviews with Apple employees.

What is Apple asking the court to do?

Apple sought a preliminary injunction to prevent the former employees and OpenAI from accessing, using, or disclosing its trade secrets. It also filed a motion to expedite discovery and order several OpenAI employees, including Liu and Tan, to sit for depositions.

What is OpenAI's main defense?

OpenAI says it does not have and does not want any of Apple's trade secrets, and that Apple employees themselves contacted Liu and asked for his help locating information. The company also notes that Apple told it issues were being resolved, then said nothing for five months before filing suit.

AI Business & IndustryArs Technica AIAug 4, 2026Aug 5, 2026, 01:01 JST

OpenAI rejects Apple trade secrets lawsuit as 'aggressive and oddly personal'

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3 Key Points

What happened
Apple sued OpenAI on Monday, alleging that two former Apple employees—Chang Liu and Tang Tan—accessed or sought Apple's trade secrets after leaving the company. Apple is seeking a preliminary injunction to prevent the employees and OpenAI from accessing, using, or disclosing the secrets, and has also asked the court to expedite discovery and order OpenAI staff to sit for depositions.
Why it matters
OpenAI denies the core allegation, stating it does not have and does not want Apple's trade secrets. The company says Apple employees themselves asked Liu to help locate information and that Apple waited five months after resolving issues to file suit—suggesting Apple may have weak grounds for the injunction. For OpenAI, an adverse ruling could restrict hiring from competitors and set a precedent for trade secret enforcement against AI companies.
What to watch
The court's decision on Apple's request for a preliminary injunction and expedited discovery. Apple also named Tan, OpenAI's chief hardware officer, in the suit, signaling potential tension between the two companies over personnel and proprietary knowledge as both develop hardware products.

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Context & Analysis

Apple's lawsuit centers on the potential misuse of trade secrets by two former employees now at OpenAI—a concern that has grown more pressing as tech giants compete for talent in AI and hardware development. OpenAI's defense hinges on two points: first, that Apple's own employees sought out Liu to help locate information, which Apple "only now admits"; and second, that Apple's five-month silence between claiming issues were resolved and filing suit suggests weak confidence in its allegations. OpenAI's characterization of the lawsuit as "careless, aggressive and oddly personal" appears designed to undercut Apple's credibility by contrasting the suit with Apple's reputation for precision and care—a rhetorical move that aims to frame the litigation as overreach rather than legitimate protection of confidential information. The court's handling of Apple's preliminary injunction request will signal how aggressively US law will enforce trade secret claims against high-profile tech hires in the AI sector.

FAQ

Which former Apple employees are named in the lawsuit?: Chang Liu, who worked on Apple's "most sensitive product development programs" and left in January, and Tang Tan, OpenAI's chief hardware officer, whom Apple accused of seeking proprietary information during interviews with Apple employees.
What is Apple asking the court to do?: Apple sought a preliminary injunction to prevent the former employees and OpenAI from accessing, using, or disclosing its trade secrets. It also filed a motion to expedite discovery and order several OpenAI employees, including Liu and Tan, to sit for depositions.
What is OpenAI's main defense?: OpenAI says it does not have and does not want any of Apple's trade secrets, and that Apple employees themselves contacted Liu and asked for his help locating information. The company also notes that Apple told it issues were being resolved, then said nothing for five months before filing suit.

Ars Technica AIRead Original Article

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