OpenAI hits back: 'We do not have, nor want' Apple's trade secrets, as iPhone maker seeks injunction

OpenAI has hit back at Apple's trade secret lawsuit, publishing a detailed blog early Tuesday (4 August), that includes iMessage exchanges and email correspondences. OpenAI is contesting Apple's attempt to secure a preliminary injunction against two former Apple staff members and the ChatGPT maker itself.

A corporate rivalry that has simmered for months spilt into open confrontation this week, as OpenAI used a lengthy public statement to dismantle Apple's accusations of trade secrets theft, hours after the iPhone maker asked a US court to freeze the ChatGPT maker's access to disputed material.

Apple on Monday (3 August) asked a US judge for a preliminary injunction barring two former employees and OpenAI from accessing, acquiring, using or disclosing alleged confidential information as it moves ahead with its trade secrets case, reported Reuters.

In its blog post, OpenAI described Apple as “one of the greatest companies” but claimed its “careless, aggressive and oddly personal lawsuit” fails to live up to its reputation.

Apple vs OpenAI Legal Fight Escalates Ahead of Injunction Hearing

The exchange marks the most combative moment yet in a dispute that began with a lawsuit filed last month in the US District Court for the Northern District of California. Apple accused OpenAI, along with two former Apple employees now working for the company, of misappropriating trade secrets to strengthen its push into consumer hardware.

On Monday, Apple escalated matters further, filing a request for a preliminary injunction that would bar OpenAI and the two individuals from accessing, acquiring, using or disclosing information the company considers confidential, according to Reuters.

Hours later, OpenAI responded publicly, releasing screenshots of iMessage conversations and email correspondence alongside a statement that rejected the basis of Apple's legal action entirely.

OpenAI Says It Has No Interest in Apple's Secrets

The company's rebuttal was unambiguous. "Apple's request for a preliminary injunction is both based on false information and completely unnecessary because we do not have, nor want, any of their trade secrets. We're much more interested in building innovative products and technologies that push the frontier," OpenAI said.

Apple vs OpenAI: Disagreement Over When Contact Began

Central to OpenAI's rebuttal is a dispute over timing.

Apple has claimed it first raised concerns with OpenAI in February, but OpenAI rejected that account, saying the mix-up traces back to a basic error by Apple's outside lawyers, who "emailed the wrong person after confusing two Asian last names."

According to OpenAI, Apple only admitted this mistake once "we brought this to their attention."

Questions Raised Over Chang Liu's Alleged Role

Much of Apple's case rests on the conduct of Chang Liu, a former senior systems electrical engineer at Apple who now works at OpenAI. Apple alleges Liu accessed confidential information after his departure from the company. OpenAI, however, presented a different sequence of events, stating that Apple's own employees had reached out to Liu directly, asking for his “help to locate this information.”

Framing this as evidence of Apple's own shortcomings, OpenAI argued that the company had failed to properly cut off former employees' access to internal systems after they left, and was now attempting to redirect blame for that lapse onto OpenAI.

Chief Hardware Officer Tang Tan Denies Wrongdoing

The second former Apple employee named in the case is Tang Yew Tan, who once served as Apple's vice president of product design for the iPhone and Apple Watch, and now holds the role of chief hardware officer at OpenAI. Defending Tan, OpenAI said he had made clear to his team from the outset that "we do not want, and must not use, any confidential information from other companies."

OpenAI's blog post included the iMessage and email exchanges as supporting evidence for its version of events across both disputed episodes.

Apple Seeks Depositions and Expedited Discovery

Beyond the injunction request, Apple filed a separate motion on Monday seeking expedited discovery, a legal step aimed at compelling the swift production of documents connected to the defendants' alleged access to its proprietary systems and trade secret material.

Apple has also asked the court to compel depositions from Liu and Tan, as well as from OpenAI employee Yu-Ting Peng and an additional, unnamed OpenAI staff member who previously worked at Apple. The request extends to corporate representatives of both OpenAI and io Products, OpenAI's commercial hardware arm, which is named as a co-defendant in the case.

Underlining the urgency of its request, Apple told the court, "Apple will be irreparably harmed absent a preliminary injunction."