OpenAI moves to dismiss Apple's trade secrets suit as 'meritless'
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- OpenAI filed a motion to dismiss Apple's trade secrets lawsuit, describing the allegations as 'meritless' and arguing Apple mischaracterized both employees' actions as theft and 'generic' product development information as 'trade secrets'
- The filing formalizes a Tuesday blog post titled 'Apple is getting this wrong,' in which OpenAI labeled the lawsuit 'careless, aggressive, and oddly personal'
- OpenAI defended former Apple employee Chang Liu — accused of downloading confidential files — saying he was simply assisting ex-colleagues who had asked for his help
- OpenAI argued Apple is using a 'baseless and pretextual lawsuit' to compensate for its own shortcomings in retaining talent and integrating AI into its products
- A federal judge is set to hear arguments on the motion on October 1; Apple separately filed a preliminary injunction request on Monday to bar OpenAI and the named employees from accessing, using, or disclosing the alleged confidential information
Why it matters: Apple's legal position just became riskier: OpenAI shifted from defending to counter-attacking, framing the suit as a cover for Apple's competitive failures in talent retention and AI integration. The October 1 hearing is the decisive early milestone — if the judge lets the case proceed, Apple keeps its strongest legal anchor; if not, the lawsuit collapses before discovery.
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