What Does Apple's Lawsuit Against OpenAI Entail?

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Apple has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI for alleged trade secret theft and contract violation last Friday, July 10, 2026. The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, accuses several former Apple employees now working at OpenAI of bringing along company trade secrets to support the development of the company's new hardware.

In the lawsuit documents, Apple mentioned that the alleged violations are part of a pattern involving former Apple employees and are directed by the leadership of OpenAI, including Chief Hardware Officer Tang Tan. It is also mentioned that the theft that occurred is like the tip of the iceberg phenomenon.

"Apple lacks visibility into what’s been happening behind closed doors at OpenAI, where such misconduct is normalized and exemplified by leadership," a portion of the lawsuit states, cited from a TechCrunch report on July 10, 2026.

Apple accuses Tan of leveraging Apple's secret project code names during the recruitment process. He then asked applicants to bring Apple hardware components to the interview, guided departing employees from Apple to evade company security procedures, and requested information about unannounced Apple products.

Tan himself, before joining OpenAI, worked for 24 years at Apple and last served as Vice President of Product Design for the iPhone and Apple Watch.

The lawsuit comes as OpenAI is reported to be developing its first hardware product, which is expected to compete with iPhone. In April, Apple technology analyst Ming-Chi Kuo estimated that the device might be a smart phone relying on AI agents as a replacement for applications.

Last year, OpenAI also acquired former Apple design chief Jony Ive's hardware startup io for $6.5 billion to strengthen its hardware development.

In addition to Tan, Apple also sued Chang Liu, a former Senior Systems Electrical Engineer at Apple who joined OpenAI in 2026. Apple accuses Liu of not returning the company's laptop after leaving and using the device to download secret technical documents.

According to Apple, the documents taken include information about unreleased technology, features, and products, including technical specifications, engineering presentations, and confidential project data. Liu is also accused of sharing this information with other Apple employees applying to OpenAI, including providing guidance on the material to study before the interview.

Apple claims to have written to OpenAI in February to express its concerns but received no response. The company also accuses OpenAI of running a systematic strategy to obtain Apple's trade secrets, including asking applicants to bring designs and prototypes to the interview session and explaining the component and supplier selection process.

In its investigation, Apple claims to have found that OpenAI and its partners have used Apple's trade secret information in their hardware product development. One example is the use of metal finishing techniques referred to as Apple's exclusive technology.

"As a natural result, OpenAI’s nascent hardware business now rests on the shakiest of foundations, rotten to its core by its illegal reliance on misappropriated trade secrets," another part of Apple's lawsuit states.

Apple requests the court to bar OpenAI from using or disclosing the stolen trade secrets, return all Apple's trade secret materials, and preserve all evidence related to the case.

In its official statement, Apple said that evidence had recently emerged showing that individuals working at OpenAI inappropriately took Apple's proprietary and confidential trade secrets about unreleased technology, processes, and products. "We will always defend our teams’ hard work and innovations, and we are taking all appropriate steps to do so," the company stated.

OpenAI responded to the lawsuit with a company statement on the X platform. "We have no interest in other companies’ trade secrets. We remain focused on building innovative technology that empowers people everywhere."

Read: Samsung Brings ChatGPT to Workforce in Massive OpenAI Deal 

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