OpenAI Disputes Apple Lawsuit With iMessages, Emails
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- OpenAI published a blog post titled "Apple is getting this wrong," sharing iMessage and email exchanges to counter Apple's trade-secret lawsuit and labeling the suit "careless, aggressive, and oddly personal."
- Apple's lawsuit centers on former employees Chang Liu, an ex-iPhone engineer now on OpenAI's technical team, and Tang Tan, a 25-year Apple veteran who oversaw iPhone and Apple Watch design before becoming OpenAI's chief hardware officer.
- Apple filed a motion on Monday seeking a preliminary injunction to prevent Liu, Tan, and OpenAI from accessing, acquiring, using, or disclosing the alleged confidential information while the case proceeds.
- OpenAI rejected Apple's account of Liu's post-departure access to Apple systems, claiming Apple employees reached out to Liu for help locating information and characterizing "residual access" as a common Apple problem caused by the company's own failure to revoke access for departing staff.
- OpenAI countered allegations that Tan solicited confidential Apple information during job interviews, stating Tan was clear with his team that they do not want or use confidential information from other companies.
- OpenAI claimed Apple's outside lawyers initially emailed the wrong person after "confusing two Asian last names," and conceded Apple never spoke with OpenAI's General Counsel before filing.
Why it matters: Apple's Monday preliminary injunction filing against two named ex-employees makes the legal stakes immediate, while OpenAI's choice to publish its defense outside the courtroom turns the dispute into a public relations fight over its hardware ambitions, where Tan now serves as chief hardware officer.
