OpenAI Dumps Apple Employees' Text Messages to Fight Trade Secret Suit
OpenAI publicly pushed back on Apple’s trade secrets lawsuit by releasing emails, texts, and a detailed rebuttal accusing Apple of factual errors. OpenAI says Apple confused two employees with similar names, wrongly claimed it ignored outreach, and incorrectly said Apple’s outside counsel had already spoken with OpenAI General Counsel Che Chang before filing suit. Apple’s July lawsuit alleged misappropriation of hardware trade secrets tied to OpenAI’s consumer hardware plans, including claims that former Apple engineer Chang Liu kept access to internal systems after leaving, downloaded confidential documents, and that former Apple executive Tang Tan used Apple information to aid OpenAI. OpenAI disputes those claims, saying post-departure messages show Apple employees kept asking Liu for help locating files and answering technical questions, suggesting any access issues came from Apple’s offboarding process. OpenAI also says Tan was told not to bring or use Apple confidential information and argues Apple’s request for an injunction is unnecessary.
