Apple escalates trade-secret dispute with OpenAI
Apple is escalating its legal fight against OpenAI, claiming to have uncovered what it calls "shocking evidence" in its investigation of former employees accused of taking confidential information to the artificial intelligence company. The iPhone maker alleges that former Apple employees used trade secrets for OpenAI's benefit, according to court filings.
At the center of the case is Chang Liu, a former Apple employee who now works at OpenAI. Liu's old Apple work laptop was submitted by his lawyers for examination, and Apple says that examination revealed the alleged misconduct.
The dispute stems from Apple's broader allegations that more than 400 former employees now work at OpenAI, according to its initial filing.
The laptop evidence
In its latest court submission, Apple says an examination of Liu's work laptop produced what it describes as "shocking evidence." The company alleges that Liu used a confidential Apple circuit schematic and a tool bearing the same name as an internal Apple engineering application while working at OpenAI.
Apple also claims that Liu asked an OpenAI colleague, Yu-Ting Peng, to help destroy evidence in June.
The filing states: "The MacBook represents the very limited information Defendants provided so far (and only after weeks of delay), and shows Apple is not conducting 'fishing expeditions' but that its trade secrets are being used and evidence is being destroyed." The specific evidence remains under seal.
In earlier filings, Apple presented text messages in which Liu acknowledged that he still had access to Apple files, according to TechCrunch's report on the case.
Apple says Liu retained access because he "exploited a rare, previously unknown authentication bug," a claim it has now repeated in the latest filing, as reported by TechCrunch.
OpenAI's defense
OpenAI has pushed back against Apple's allegations. In a statement cited in court filings, the company said: "This dispute is a mess of Apple's own making, and it is trying to blame everyone else."
OpenAI argued that Apple failed to demonstrate any evidence of stolen confidential information at the recent hearingaines. It also said Apple's own policies make it difficult to separate company data from personal data, as employees are allowed to use personal iCloud accounts for work.
In an earlier blog post, OpenAI defended Liu, saying he only accessed Apple files after leaving to help former colleagues, and argued that Apple does not adequately manage system access when employees depart. Apple, for its part, says Liu's continued access resulted from a rare and previously unknown bug he exploited.
Liu himself has said that his access to Apple data after leaving was intended to help former colleagues, according to Business Today's report.
Legal remedies sought
Apple is seeking a preliminary injunction that would bar OpenAI from using technology based on Apple's trade secrets, along with expedited discovery, as reported by TechCrunch.
OpenAI, for its part, has called the dispute "a mess of Apple's own making," arguing that Apple's own policies make it difficult to separate company data from personal data when employees leave, and that Apple fails to properly manage system access.
TechCrunch has requested comment from OpenAI on Apple's newest allegations and said it had not yet received a response at the time of its report.