Apple has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and two former Apple employees, seeking a federal court injunction to prevent the artificial intelligence company from using or sharing what Apple alleges are stolen trade secrets. The case, which surfaced publicly on Monday, involves claims that OpenAI and the former employees, including Tang Yew Tan—formerly Apple’s vice president of product design and now leading OpenAI’s hardware division—and Chang Liu, a former senior system electrical engineer, misappropriated confidential information related to Apple’s hardware development.
In its court filing, Apple argued that without a preliminary injunction, the company would suffer irreparable harm. The suit alleges that OpenAI obtained and potentially exploited proprietary technology that could undermine Apple's competitive position in the hardware market.
OpenAI responded swiftly with a public statement calling the legal action “careless, aggressive and oddly personal,” and challenged key assertions made by Apple. Central to the dispute is a claim by Apple that it informed OpenAI of suspected trade secret theft back in February, but reportedly received no response. OpenAI denied this, stating that Apple’s legal team mistakenly contacted the wrong individual during their initial outreach.
According to emails released by OpenAI, Weil, Gotshal & Manges partner Gabriel Gross sent a warning letter to OpenAI’s general counsel, Che Chang, instead of reaching a former Apple employee surnamed Wang—whom Apple intended to contact regarding the matter. Gross also referenced a phone call with Chang that OpenAI says never happened, a claim that Apple later retracted. Chang reportedly forwarded the letter to Apple’s in-house lawyers, explaining he had no prior communication with Gross. Gross subsequently apologized for the error and noted that the intended recipient, Wang, had offered to cooperate, though neither party has provided further details about Wang’s role or involvement.
Following this initial contact in February, OpenAI says it heard nothing further from Apple until the company initiated litigation five months later on July 10. The delay in pursuing legal action contributed to OpenAI’s characterization of Apple’s suit as “careless.”
The lawsuit raises broader questions about intellectual property protection and competition within the rapidly evolving technology sector, notably as AI firms like OpenAI expand into hardware development. While Apple emphasizes the protection of its proprietary designs and technologies, OpenAI highlights procedural missteps and denies any wrongdoing.
No court date has been announced, and legal experts say the proceedings could set important precedents for how companies safeguard trade secrets amid increasing overlap between AI software and hardware innovation. Both parties declined additional comment beyond their public statements.