OpenAI calls Apple's trade secrets lawsuit 'rotten to its core'

Apple sued OpenAI in July, alleging that former Apple employees who joined the ChatGPT maker stole confidential documents to accelerate OpenAI's hardware development. The lawsuit names Chang Liu, a former Apple staffer now at OpenAI, as having downloaded confidential files after his departure. Apple contended that this move violated employee duties and constituted misappropriation of trade secrets that could benefit OpenAI's competitive position.

OpenAI's legal team filed a motion yesterday requesting that a federal judge dismiss the complaint entirely. In the filing, OpenAI attacks the suit on multiple grounds: that Apple has mischaracterized employee actions as theft, that the documents in question are generic product development information rather than true trade secrets, and that Apple made insufficient efforts to maintain secrecy around the materials. OpenAI argues specifically that Chang Liu was simply helping ex-colleagues who requested his assistance, not orchestrating a heist. The motion draws language from a blog post OpenAI published on Tuesday, in which the company described the lawsuit as "careless, aggressive, and oddly personal," and now repeats the phrase "rotten to its core" in the formal dismissal request.

OpenAI frames the lawsuit as a tactic by Apple to mask its own failures. "Apple should not be permitted to use a baseless and pretextual lawsuit to make up for its shortcomings in the market for talent and retaining its employees, and its failures to integrate AI into its products," OpenAI states. The company emphasizes that it is "building something entirely new and different from anything at Apple" and that its appeal to engineers and creators lies in "the innovative and exciting work the company is doing," not in stolen secrets.

The legal process will move forward with arguments on OpenAI's dismissal motion scheduled for October 1st before a federal judge. In parallel, Apple filed a request on Monday for a preliminary injunction that would prohibit OpenAI and the named employees from accessing, acquiring, using, or disclosing the alleged confidential information while the lawsuit proceeds. This dual-track approach—seeking both dismissal and injunctive relief—reflects Apple's determination to block any use of the materials even if the full case ultimately survives initial judicial scrutiny.