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OpenAI Rejects Apple’s Injunction Bid in Trade-Secret Fight

Published
Score
20

Why it matters

Apple has escalated its trade-secret lawsuit against OpenAI by seeking a preliminary injunction in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, asking the court to block OpenAI and several former Apple employees from using or disclosing confidential Apple information. The lawsuit, filed in July 2026, alleges a coordinated pattern of employee poaching and misappropriation of trade secrets to support OpenAI's hardware development efforts. Named defendants include Tang Tan, OpenAI's hardware chief and former Apple design executive, and Chang Liu, a former Apple engineer. Apple also targets io Products, OpenAI's hardware-linked entity, and seeks depositions from additional OpenAI staff. OpenAI has publicly characterized Apple's case as "careless" and "oddly personal," denying it possesses or seeks Apple trade secrets.

The court has not yet ruled on Apple's injunction request. OpenAI's response relies on internal messages and emails to rebut the allegations, but the specifics of those communications remain sealed. The scope of discovery Apple seeks—particularly how the company intends to prove the alleged data transfer—has not been fully detailed in public filings.

The case matters because it tests how aggressively federal courts will police trade-secret claims in the competitive race to develop consumer AI hardware. An injunction would significantly constrain OpenAI's hardware timeline and signal courts' willingness to intervene early in such disputes. Attorneys handling trade-secret litigation or advising companies in AI hardware development should monitor the court's preliminary injunction decision closely, as it will likely shape enforcement strategies across the sector.

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