Apple seeks a preliminary injunction against OpenAI in a case involving alleged trade secret theft
Apple has filed a request for a preliminary injunction against OpenAI and claims that additional former employees may have passed confidential information about unreleased products to OpenAI. OpenAI denies the allegations.
In a new court filing, Apple is seeking a preliminary injunction that would prevent OpenAI from developing AI devices or other products based on technology from Apple. Apple is also seeking expedited discovery involving the accused former employees of Apple who now work for OpenAI, specifically senior systems engineer Chang Liu and Chief Hardware Officer Tang Yew Tan, as well as OpenAI itself and its foundation entity, and the startup io, co-founded by former chief designer at Apple Jony Ive.
According to Apple, its further investigation revealed that up to 11 additional former employees of Apple may be involved in the case, either as witnesses or as participants in the leak, beyond the individuals previously named, including OpenAI employee Yu-Ting Peng. The filing specifically states that one former employee of Apple met with Mr. Liu and Ms. Peng before Ms. Peng interviewed at OpenAI and discussed confidential information about unreleased products from Apple with them. According to Apple, another former employee took screenshots of confidential documents concerning an unreleased product before interviewing at OpenAI. Apple also states that, after the lawsuit was filed, several former employees now working at OpenAI contacted it about returning work devices from Apple that they had kept after leaving.
OpenAI responded to the allegations with a public statement saying that the request for a preliminary injunction was “based on false information and entirely unnecessary", because, according to OpenAI, it neither has nor wants trade secrets from Apple. OpenAI also pointed to previously disclosed mistakes by Apple, including that Apple accidentally contacted a different person when first reaching out to OpenAI because it confused similar surnames. OpenAI also claims that Apple falsely stated that it had consulted its general counsel about the matter, and that Apple failed to acknowledge that the so-called “residual access", which allowed former employees to access systems at Apple, resulted from inadequate security procedures at Apple itself.
Why it matters
The dispute shows how closely major technology companies monitor key employees moving to direct competitors in AI hardware, and suggests that, according to claims by Apple, the scope of the case is expanding to include more people than were named in the original lawsuit. The outcome of the preliminary injunction proceedings may affect whether and how quickly OpenAI can continue developing its own AI devices.
Relevant practical impact
What this means
For a business
The case highlights the risk of trade secret disputes when employees with access to unreleased products move to a direct competitor, and shows that security gaps such as former employees retaining access to company systems can themselves become a point of contention.
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