Details Emerge from Apple's Trade Secret Lawsuit Against OpenAI

Apple's new court filing against OpenAI expands on the claims outlined in its trade secret lawsuit filed earlier this month. The 41-page complaint alleges systematic efforts to obtain confidential information from employees and contractors of Apple Inc..

Among the allegations, Apple claims that former employees accessed internal systems after leaving the company. One message cited in the filing described access to Apple network storage through an authentication issue. The complaint also includes messages suggesting that former staff retained company devices and data after departure.

Apple states that OpenAI directed candidates interviewing for hardware roles to bring physical Apple parts and design materials to interviews. The complaint identifies OpenAI’s chief hardware officer, Tang Yew Tan, as allegedly involved in organizing these sessions. Tan spent more than two decades at Apple before joining OpenAI.

The filing also alleges that OpenAI advised departing Apple employees on avoiding the company’s standard security procedures and on refraining from signing documents during exit interviews. Apple claims that more than four hundred of its former employees now work at OpenAI, suggesting the alleged misuse of confidential information could be widespread.

The lawsuit additionally targets io, a design company acquired by OpenAI in 2025, which Apple accuses of using its proprietary industrial design methods without authorization. OpenAI issued a short statement in response, denying interest in other companies’ trade secrets and stating that it remains focused on developing its technology.