Apple Says OpenAI Is Deleting the Evidence
AT A GLANCE
- Apple accuses OpenAI of destroying evidence in their ongoing trade secrets lawsuit
- Former Apple engineer Chang Liu allegedly downloaded and used a confidential Apple schematic at OpenAI
- OpenAI reportedly handed over a company MacBook only after weeks of delay
- Apple wants damages plus a court order forcing OpenAI to stop using its trade secrets
- Judge set to hear arguments October 1
The legal fight between two tech giants just got a lot messier, and a lot more serious.
Apple isn’t backing down. In a new court filing, the iPhone maker claims OpenAI is actively covering its tracks in a lawsuit over stolen trade secrets, and that a former Apple engineer used confidential company material in his new job.
KEY DETAILS
At the center of it all is Chang Liu, who left Apple for OpenAI in January and is one of over 400 former Apple staffers now working there. Apple says forensic analysis of Liu’s company laptop, handed over only recently, shows he knew about unauthorized access to Apple’s cloud storage, and even sent instructions for destroying evidence to an OpenAI colleague who confirmed she would comply. Apple also alleges Liu used an OpenAI tool bearing the same name as an internal Apple engineering app.
WHY IT MATTERS
Trade secret disputes like this can move markets and reputations, especially as OpenAI pushes deeper into hardware, including an upcoming smart speaker developed with ex-Apple design chief Jony Ive.
A judge will hear arguments on Apple’s motion on October 1. Until then, expect the accusations and the tension between these two giants to keep building.
Stay ahead of every market-moving headline with QuoMarkets.
Source: Yahoo Finance
