Apple is turning up the pressure in its ongoing trade secret legal fight against OpenAI. In a recent court brief reported by Bloomberg, Apple asked a federal judge for expedited discovery, claiming OpenAI and former Apple engineer Chang Liu actively discussed destroying forensic evidence needed for the case.
Apple filed the lawsuit originally in July. It focuses on allegations that OpenAI poached key talent—including over 400 former Apple employees—to build competing AI consumer hardware using stolen intellectual property. Central to Apple’s latest filing is a company-issued MacBook that Liu kept after leaving for OpenAI in January. Apple claims forensic analysis of the laptop revealed that Liu downloaded confidential circuit schematics, used them in his work at OpenAI, and instructed a colleague to wipe device logs after learning about Apple’s internal investigation.
OpenAI fires back over offboarding procedures
OpenAI pushed back aggressively in its own court response. They described the lawsuit as “a mess of Apple’s own making.” The ChatGPT creator argues that Apple’s lax security protocols and sloppy employee offboarding allowed continued cloud access in the first place, rather than any intentional wrongdoing.
Addressing the files found on the MacBook, OpenAI maintains that Liu accessed those documents solely for legitimate Apple work before his departure. The AI firm insisted that the materials held have no relevance to its current hardware projects. They also warned the court that granting broad injunctions could restrict standard tech industry hiring and harm worker mobility.
What lies ahead for the October hearing
Apple is asking the court for monetary damages, an order requiring the destruction of all proprietary materials, and a preliminary injunction halting OpenAI from developing hardware based on its trade secrets.
The legal battle lands as the once-friendly relationship between the two tech giants deteriorates. This was driven in part by OpenAI hiring former Apple chief designer Jony Ive to build an AI-powered smart speaker. Both sides will present their arguments before a federal judge on October 1. There, the court will decide whether to grant Apple’s injunction.
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