Chang Liu is a former iPhone engineer who left Apple for OpenAI in January. Apple claims he downloaded a confidential Apple circuit schematic and used it in his work at OpenAI.

What is Apple's legal action against OpenAI?

Apple has filed a court brief in support of a motion for expedited pretrial fact-finding in a lawsuit accusing OpenAI of stealing trade secrets.

AI Business & IndustryJapan Times TechSep 1, 2026Sep 1, 2026, 16:01 JST

Apple accuses OpenAI of destroying evidence in trade secrets case

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3 Key Points

What happened
Apple has escalated its legal battle against OpenAI, claiming in a new court filing that OpenAI is actively destroying evidence. The filing also alleges that former iPhone engineer Chang Liu used confidential Apple material in his work at OpenAI.
Why it matters
The case accuses the ChatGPT-maker of stealing trade secrets. Liu, who left Apple for OpenAI in January, is one of more than 400 former Apple employees who went to work for the AI company, which is entering the hardware device market.
What to watch
The court brief was filed Monday in support of Apple's motion for expedited pretrial fact-finding. OpenAI has pushed to have the case dismissed.

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Context & Analysis

Apple's new court filing marks an escalation in its legal dispute with OpenAI. The company alleges that OpenAI is destroying evidence and that a former engineer, Chang Liu, used confidential Apple material in his work at the AI firm. Liu left Apple in January and is one of over 400 former Apple employees now at OpenAI, which is reportedly making a foray into hardware devices. The lawsuit accuses OpenAI of stealing trade secrets, and OpenAI has moved to have the case dismissed. The outcome could hinge on the expedited fact-finding Apple is requesting, which may determine whether evidence is preserved and what the engineer actually used.

FAQ

Who is Chang Liu?: Chang Liu is a former iPhone engineer who left Apple for OpenAI in January. Apple claims he downloaded a confidential Apple circuit schematic and used it in his work at OpenAI.
What is Apple's legal action against OpenAI?: Apple has filed a court brief in support of a motion for expedited pretrial fact-finding in a lawsuit accusing OpenAI of stealing trade secrets.

Japan Times TechRead Original Article

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Also reported by The Verge AI

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