Apple Seeks Expedited Discovery From OpenAI Over 1 MacBook in Trade Secret Fight
Updated
Updated · The Verge · Sep 1
Apple Seeks Expedited Discovery From OpenAI Over 1 MacBook in Trade Secret Fight
3 articles · Updated · The Verge · Sep 1
Summary
Monday’s filing says OpenAI turned over a MacBook on Aug. 21 that Apple claims contained discussions about destroying forensic data needed in the case.
Apple says the laptop belonged to former employee Chang Liu, whom it accuses of keeping the company device after leaving and of downloading a confidential circuit schematic later used in his OpenAI work.
The filing also alleges Liu and other OpenAI staff knew he still had access to Apple’s third-party cloud storage, and that messages showed plans to restore and resume using Apple-owned devices after an internal probe began in June.
OpenAI counters that Apple’s own employee exit process caused the dispute, saying there is no evidence Liu accessed Apple information improperly or had any use for Apple confidential material.
The clash is the latest turn in Apple’s lawsuit accusing OpenAI of using trade secrets tied to an AI device project, with Apple arguing transient logs and metadata could still be lost or overwritten.