Apple widens trade secrets case against OpenAI

Apple has widened its trade secrets case against OpenAI, filing a new request for expedited discovery that names more former employees and additional companies. The filing asks the court to compel testimony and documents from OpenAI, its foundation, and io, the device startup co-founded by Apple's former design chief Jony Ive. The move marks an escalation in the legal battle, signalling that Apple has uncovered evidence the alleged misconduct goes beyond the staff named in its original complaint.

Apple's investigation has now revealed that 11 former Apple employees beyond the two originally accused may have been witnesses or otherwise involved in the case. The original complaint named senior systems engineer Chang Liu, OpenAI's chief hardware officer Tang Yew Tan, and OpenAI employee Yu-Ting Peng. Apple claims one former employee met with Liu and Peng ahead of Peng's interview at OpenAI to discuss proprietary information about unannounced products, while another took screenshots of confidential Apple documents before an interview.

Apple also says that after it filed its complaint, multiple former employees now working at OpenAI reached out to return Apple-issued work devices they had kept when they left. The company is pushing for expedited discovery, arguing it has good cause to suspect others were involved in the theft of its intellectual property. Its motion for a preliminary injunction is also pending, and the case is likely to hinge on what documents and systems the departing staff accessed before leaving.