Apple’s OpenAI Trade-Secret Fight Turns Into a Public Receipts War

Apple’s OpenAI Trade-Secret Fight Turns Into a Public Receipts War
Apple sees a bid to protect unreleased technology from former insiders; OpenAI says Apple has confused lingering system access with wrongdoing and is using a flawed case to restrain a rival.

The dispute centers on Chang Liu and Tang Tan, two former Apple employees who later joined OpenAI. Apple’s lawsuit alleges that confidential information about unreleased technologies, processes and products was taken to support OpenAI’s hardware ambitions. A separate report said Apple had presented what it called “shocking evidence” against a former employee accused of stealing company data for OpenAI.

Apple’s account says Liu did not return a company computer, accessed cloud storage after leaving, downloaded confidential files and advised another colleague how to avoid trouble with Apple’s security team before she joined OpenAI. It also alleges Tan sought confidential details while recruiting Apple staff and asked candidates to demonstrate components they had worked on. Apple subsequently sought a preliminary injunction to bar Liu, Tan and OpenAI from accessing, acquiring, using or disclosing the disputed information while the case proceeds.

OpenAI answered not with a formal court filing but with a public blog post, “Apple is getting this wrong.” The company called Apple’s injunction request “based on false information” and unnecessary, insisting it does not possess or want Apple trade secrets.

Its counterargument is sharply different: Apple employees allegedly contacted Liu for help locating material he was accused of accessing, while “residual access” remained available because Apple failed to remove departing employees from systems. OpenAI also says Tan made clear that the company must not use confidential information from other businesses, and argues Apple initially sent inquiries to the wrong person after mixing up similar surnames.

The legal battle is now running on two tracks: Apple pressing for court intervention, and OpenAI publishing emails and messages to challenge the narrative before a judge rules.

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