Key facts
- Apple alleges a former Apple engineer, Chang Liu, accessed confidential circuit schematics.
- Apple claims Liu used proprietary information to train an AI agent.
- New evidence emerged from a MacBook provided by OpenAI to Apple.
- Apple is seeking to expedite discovery in its trade secret lawsuit against OpenAI.
- OpenAI denies the allegations, stating it focuses on building innovative technology.
Apple has filed a trade secret lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging that a former Apple engineer accessed confidential hardware information and used it to accelerate OpenAI's consumer hardware ambitions. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. federal court, names OpenAI, its acquired hardware startup io Products, former Apple executive Tang Tan, and former Apple engineer Chang Liu as defendants.
Apple claims that Liu, who worked at Apple for eight years before joining OpenAI, exploited a security vulnerability to access internal file repositories after his departure. According to the complaint, Liu downloaded dozens of confidential files, including engineering presentations, technical specifications, and information concerning unreleased products. Apple also alleges Liu instructed another Apple employee on how to copy confidential files and avoid detection before leaving for OpenAI.
Further allegations include that Tang Tan, Apple's former Vice President of Product Design, used Apple's internal project codenames while interviewing Apple employees and encouraged candidates to bring confidential hardware components to "show and tell" sessions. Apple claims OpenAI recruiters, including Tan, encouraged Apple employees interviewing for positions to bring confidential hardware components, prototypes, CAD files, and other proprietary materials to interviews.
Apple stated that new evidence came to light from a MacBook computer that OpenAI provided to Apple on August 21 as part of legal proceedings. The company is asking a U.S. federal court to expedite discovery proceedings in the trade secret case against OpenAI. OpenAI has sought to dismiss Apple's lawsuit, with a spokesperson stating the company has "no interest in other companies' trade secrets" and remains focused on building innovative technology.
Apple alleges the behavior represents "the tip of the iceberg," claiming it has identified a broader pattern involving former employees who later joined OpenAI. The lawsuit notes that more than 400 former Apple employees now work at OpenAI, though only Tan and Liu are individually named as defendants.