In a dramatic escalation of its legal battle with OpenAI, Apple has filed what it describes as “shocking evidence” to support allegations that a former employee stole trade secrets for the benefit of the AI company. The new details emerged after legal counsel for Chang Liu, a former Apple engineer now working at OpenAI, handed over Liu’s old Apple-issued MacBook for investigation earlier this month.
Apple now alleges that Liu used a confidential Apple circuit schematic in his work at OpenAI, as well as a software tool bearing the same name as an internal Apple engineering application. The company further claims that OpenAI was “well-aware” of Liu’s access to Apple data and that Liu enlisted an OpenAI colleague, Yu-Ting Peng, to help destroy evidence in June after learning that Apple had launched an investigation into his activities.
“The MacBook represents the very limited information Defendants provided so far (and only after weeks of delay), and shows Apple is not conducting ‘fishing expeditions’ but that its trade secrets are being used and evidence is being destroyed,” the filing states.
While the specific new evidence remains redacted from public view, prior Apple filings have included text messages from Liu—punctuated with “crying laughing” emojis—that show he was aware he still had access to Apple’s files. In its earlier lawsuit, Apple also alleged that Liu exploited a “rare, previously unknown authentication bug” to maintain access to confidential data after his departure.
OpenAI has defended Liu, asserting that he only accessed Apple files after leaving the company to assist former colleagues who had requested his help. In a blog post published earlier this month, OpenAI wrote: “Apple now tries to shift the blame to ‘residual access,’ but they also don’t disclose that this is a common issue with Apple which is caused by them failing to properly manage system access when people leave.” Apple disputes this, contending that Liu’s continued access was not accidental but the result of deliberate exploitation of a security flaw.
TechCrunch has reached out to OpenAI for comment on Apple’s latest allegations but has not yet received a response.
Apple is seeking a preliminary injunction that would bar OpenAI from developing hardware based on Apple’s proprietary technology while the case proceeds. The company is also requesting expedited discovery, arguing that additional former Apple employees may be implicated in similar misconduct. According to Apple’s initial filing, more than 400 former Apple employees now work at OpenAI, raising broader concerns about the potential leakage of proprietary information.
As the case unfolds in 2026, it underscores the intensifying competition between tech giants in the AI hardware space and the legal risks associated with employee mobility. The outcome could set significant precedents for how trade secret disputes are handled in the AI industry.
via TechCrunch AI