San Francisco – In a filing filed Monday in U.S. District Court in San Jose, California, OpenAI rejected Apple’s accusations that former Apple staff took trade secrets related to hardware design, manufacturing and supply‑chain operations. The AI company described the lawsuit as a “mess of Apple’s own making” and argued that the tech giant is trying to blame others for its own shortcomings.
Background of the dispute
Apple sued OpenAI in July, naming former Apple engineers Tang Tan and Chang Liu as defendants alongside the AI lab. Apple alleges the two accessed internal Apple files after leaving the company and that OpenAI hired them to acquire proprietary information for its emerging hardware initiative.
OpenAI’s response
OpenAI, led by CEO Sam Altman, contended that the lawsuit is a strategic move to hinder a potential competitor and to discourage employee mobility. The filing noted that roughly 400 former Apple employees have joined OpenAI’s hardware team, a transition that California law permits.
OpenAI also pointed out that Apple encourages its staff to use personal iCloud accounts for work documents, making it difficult for departing employees to separate personal and company data. The company further argued that Apple’s practice of immediately escorting departing staff from its premises does not give them sufficient time to return devices, transfer files back to Apple, or hand over responsibilities.
Statements from the former Apple engineers
In the court documents, Liu said any post‑departure access to Apple documents was intended to help former colleagues locate files or answer work‑related questions, noting that Apple employees continued to contact him for assistance after he left.
Tan, who spent 24 years at Apple, asserted that he returned Apple prototypes before his departure and only kept non‑confidential materials, including an employee departure checklist that was not classified as confidential.
OpenAI’s broader argument
OpenAI emphasized that employees are free to move from Apple to a startup that is building innovative products. “Apple may not like those choices, but it cannot claim those choices are unlawful, and it cannot use its own sloppy procedures to blame others for its own mess,” the filing read.
Implications for the tech industry
The case highlights the growing tension between established hardware manufacturers and fast‑moving AI firms. Two years ago, Apple and OpenAI announced a partnership aimed at expanding ChatGPT’s reach and helping Apple strengthen its AI capabilities. Since then, competition has intensified, and the lawsuit marks a significant escalation in the rivalry.
Legal experts note that California’s employee‑mobility protections will likely play a central role in the outcome, as the state generally allows workers to transition between competing firms without restrictive non‑compete clauses.
What’s next?
The dispute will proceed through the federal court system, with both sides expected to present further evidence on the alleged misuse of proprietary information and the adequacy of Apple’s employee‑off‑boarding procedures. The case could set important precedents for how tech companies protect trade secrets while respecting workers’ rights to change employment.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
