Apple details 'shocking evidence' in OpenAI trade secrets suit — SkimNews
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- Apple filed what it calls "shocking evidence" in its lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging former employee Chang Liu used a confidential Apple circuit schematic in his work at OpenAI, along with a tool sharing a name with an internal Apple engineering application.
- Apple claims Liu exploited "a rare, previously unknown authentication bug" to retain access to Apple files after leaving, and enlisted OpenAI colleague Yu-Ting Peng to help destroy evidence in June when he learned Apple was investigating him.
- Apple alleges OpenAI was "well-aware" of Liu's continued access to Apple data; OpenAI has countered that residual access is a common Apple systems issue, and that Liu only helped former colleagues who asked.
- Apple is seeking a preliminary injunction to block OpenAI from working on hardware based on its technology, plus expedited discovery — a fast-tracked evidence process — because it suspects more former employees may be implicated.
- Liu's former Apple-issued MacBook was handed over for forensic review earlier this month after weeks of delay, and Apple's initial filing stated more than 400 former Apple employees now work at OpenAI.
Why it matters: Apple is asking a court to block OpenAI from developing products using its technology while the case proceeds — an extraordinary remedy in a trade secrets fight between two of the world's most valuable tech companies. The request for expedited discovery, paired with Apple's claim that over 400 former employees now work at OpenAI, signals Apple believes the alleged theft may extend beyond Liu and is racing to lock down further evidence before it disappears.
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