Apple Sues OpenAI and Two Former Employees Alleging Trade-Secret Theft

Apple filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and two former employees on Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The complaint alleges that OpenAI misappropriated Apple trade secrets by recruiting staff who took confidential information about unreleased products.

The filing claims Chang Liu, a former senior electrical system engineer at Apple now at OpenAI, used a company laptop to access files containing engineering presentations, technical specifications, and project data. It further states that Liu coached a colleague, Yu-Ting Peng, on bypassing security while copying files and on answering interview questions about Apple technology.

Tang Yew Tan, previously vice president of product design for the iPhone and Apple Watch at Apple and now OpenAI’s chief hardware officer, is accused of asking job candidates about unannounced products and directing them to bring parts for “show and tell” sessions.

The complaint also says Tan instructed new hires not to disclose their OpenAI roles to Apple so they could remain longer at the company. Apple seeks a preliminary and permanent injunction requiring the return of confidential information and an unspecified amount of damages, the Washington Examiner reported.

An Apple spokesperson said the company takes protection of its intellectual property seriously and will defend its teams’ work.

The lawsuit notes that Apple and OpenAI formed a 2024 partnership to integrate ChatGPT into Apple devices. The complaint states that Apple raised internal concerns before filing and that discovery will examine whether evidence was concealed or destroyed.