In its ongoing legal case with OpenAI, Apple has submitted new evidence claiming its confidential materials were misappropriated and that efforts have been made to erase critical evidence.
Former Apple Employee Accused of Stealing Trade Secrets for OpenAI
Apple’s recent courtroom allegations target ex-employee Chang Liu, who is now at OpenAI. Earlier this month, Liu’s legal team handed over his former Apple-issued laptop for forensic review, which Apple says led to the discovery of the disputed misappropriation.
Based on Apple’s court filing, the company alleges that Liu used both a confidential Apple circuit diagram and a software program—named after an internal Apple app—during his work at OpenAI. The filing further accuses OpenAI of being aware of Liu’s privileged access to Apple’s information and states that, upon learning about Apple’s internal review, Liu teamed up with OpenAI’s Yu-Ting Peng in June to delete diagnostic logs and additional material serving as potential evidence.
Details Surface in Court on Alleged Evidence Erasure
In its latest submission, Apple contends, “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.” Though much of the new evidence remains redacted from public view, previous records have shown text conversations from Liu. In these texts, Liu apparently admitted to retaining access to Apple documents post-employment, sometimes even using “crying laughing” emojis, signaling he knew he still had confidential files.
These new claims arise while OpenAI maintains that Liu’s continued entry to Apple systems and files happened “only after he stopped working” for Apple and was done following requests from past coworkers, rather than for OpenAI’s benefit. According to a public OpenAI blog post, the company attributes the incident to Apple’s residual access issues, which it says reflect Apple’s delays in revoking access when staff depart.
Apple disputes this narrative, emphasizing Liu’s ongoing access was not routine but a result of him exploiting “a rare, previously unknown authentication bug.” In both public comments and earlier legal submissions, Apple has insisted that Liu specifically bypassed technical safeguards to retrieve protected data after he had already joined OpenAI.
Apple Requests Immediate Court Action Over Suspected Broader Threat
Seeking to prevent OpenAI from moving forward with development that could leverage allegedly stolen technology, Apple is pursuing a preliminary injunction as the lawsuit proceeds. Apple also wants the court to grant “expedited discovery”—a faster evidence-gathering process—because the company believes more individuals may be implicated than initially thought.
According to Apple’s original complaint, over 400 former Apple staffers are now employed at OpenAI, which intensifies the company’s apprehension regarding the breadth of the alleged exposure of its trade secrets. So far, OpenAI has not responded publicly to the new accusations Apple has presented.
As the dispute moves forward, the case shines a spotlight on the risks surrounding talent movements between leading AI firms and underscores concerns about protecting proprietary advancements in a field marked by rapid change.