Apple is escalating its trade secrets lawsuit against OpenAI by seeking a preliminary injunction and revealing that 11 additional former Apple employees beyond the two originally accused may have been involved in or witnessed the alleged theft of confidential information.
The filing details specific instances of suspected misconduct, including one employee meeting with accused parties to discuss confidential product details and another taking screenshots of confidential documents before interviewing at OpenAI.
OpenAI has publicly denied the allegations, stating it does not possess any of Apple's trade secrets and attributing some of Apple's claims to investigative errors.
What happened
Apple filed a motion seeking a preliminary injunction to block OpenAI from developing AI devices or products based on Apple's technology, and revealed that 11 additional former Apple employees beyond the two originally named (Chang Liu and Tang Yew Tan) may have been involved in or witnessed the alleged trade secrets theft. The filing also cites specific instances: one former employee met with Liu and OpenAI employee Yu-Ting Peng before her interview at OpenAI and discussed confidential information about unannounced products; another took screenshots of confidential Apple documents before interviewing at OpenAI; and multiple former employees now at OpenAI have contacted Apple about returning Apple-issued work devices they kept when they left.
Why it matters
The escalation signals Apple believes the misconduct extends well beyond the original complaint and involves a broader pattern of confidential information transfer. Apple is requesting expedited discovery to investigate the full scope of the alleged scheme. OpenAI has publicly denied the claims, stating it does not have or want any of Apple's trade secrets and pointing to errors in Apple's handling of the case (including emailing the wrong person at OpenAI).
What to watch
Apple's motion for a preliminary injunction is pending before the court. The outcome will determine whether OpenAI faces legal restrictions on product development while the case proceeds, and whether the court grants Apple's request for expedited discovery to identify the full extent of alleged employee involvement.
Apple has filed a motion seeking a preliminary injunction in its trade secrets case against OpenAI, aiming to halt the AI company from developing AI devices or products based on Apple's proprietary technology. The filing comes as part of an ongoing legal dispute that has now broadened significantly in scope.
The original complaint named two individuals: Chang Liu, a senior systems engineer at OpenAI, and Tang Yew Tan, OpenAI's Chief Hardware Officer. The case also involved OpenAI employee Yu-Ting Peng and targeted io, a device startup co-founded by Jony Ive, Apple's former lead designer. In the new filing, Apple requests expedited discovery from both the named employees and these organizations.
Apple's investigation has now uncovered evidence that 11 additional former Apple employees beyond Liu and Tan may have been witnesses or otherwise involved in the case. The filing provides concrete examples of the alleged misconduct. According to Apple, one former employee met with Liu and Peng in advance of Peng's interview at OpenAI and discussed Apple proprietary information about unannounced products during that meeting. Another former employee took screenshots of confidential Apple documents relating to an unannounced product before interviewing at OpenAI. Additionally, after Apple filed its original complaint, multiple former Apple employees now working at OpenAI reached out to discuss returning Apple-issued work devices they had retained when leaving the company—a development Apple interprets as evidence of broader involvement in the scheme.
Apple argues it has good cause to suspect additional individuals are involved in the theft of its intellectual property and has pushed the court to grant expedited discovery to uncover them. The company's motion for a preliminary injunction is currently pending.
OpenAI responded publicly through a blog post, stating that Apple's request for a preliminary injunction is "both based on false information and completely unnecessary because we do not have, nor want, any of their trade secrets." The AI model maker emphasized its focus on "building innovative products and technologies that push the frontier." OpenAI also raised procedural objections to Apple's case, pointing out that Apple had emailed the wrong person when initially contacting OpenAI due to confusion over similar surnames, and alleging that Apple made false claims about discussing matters with OpenAI's general counsel. OpenAI further contended that Apple failed to acknowledge that the "residual access" allowing former employees to retain system access was the result of poor security procedures on Apple's part.
Apple's latest filing marks a significant escalation in its intellectual property dispute with OpenAI. The original complaint focused on two named employees—Chang Liu and Tang Yew Tan—but the new motion reveals that investigation has uncovered a broader pattern of potential misconduct involving 11 additional former Apple employees. This expansion suggests Apple believes the trade secrets transfer was not isolated to a handful of individuals but part of a more systemic issue involving multiple departing staff members.
The specific allegations paint a detailed picture of alleged coordination: an employee discussed confidential unannounced product information in advance of a job interview, another captured internal documents, and multiple former employees have now contacted Apple to return company devices. These details indicate Apple views the misconduct as deliberate and coordinated rather than accidental or incidental. By requesting expedited discovery, Apple is pushing the court to move quickly and comprehensively to identify all parties involved.
OpenAI's public response denies the core allegation—that it possesses or wants Apple's trade secrets—and highlights procedural missteps in Apple's investigation (a misdirected email, confusion about communications with its general counsel). The company frames itself as focused on innovation rather than appropriating competitors' intellectual property. The dispute now hinges on whether the court believes Apple's expanded evidence warrants expedited proceedings and a preliminary injunction, or whether OpenAI's procedural critiques and categorical denials are sufficient to proceed under normal discovery timelines.
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