Apple has escalated its legal battle against OpenAI, filing new court documents that accuse the ChatGPT maker of actively destroying evidence in an ongoing trade secrets case. The dispute centers on Chang Liu, a former Apple engineer who left the company in January to join OpenAI and is one of more than 400 former Apple employees now working there.
In a supplemental brief filed in the Northern District of California, Apple says forensic analysis of Liu’s Apple-issued MacBook revealed that he downloaded a confidential Apple circuit schematic and used it in his work at OpenAI. The laptop also showed he continued to access Apple’s third-party cloud storage after leaving the company, and Apple claims Liu and others at OpenAI were “well aware” of this unauthorized access.
The most serious allegation is that Liu sent instructions to an OpenAI colleague, identified as Yu-Ting Peng, to destroy evidence after learning he was under investigation. Apple says Peng confirmed she would comply. Apple argues the laptop proves that “trade secrets are being used and evidence is being destroyed,” and says OpenAI handed over the device only after weeks of delay.
OpenAI denies wrongdoing and is seeking to dismiss the case. The company says it followed standard recruiting practices and that Liu only accessed Apple files to help former colleagues who asked for assistance. OpenAI has also argued that Liu’s continued access resulted from Apple failing to manage system permissions after his departure. Apple rejects that explanation, claiming Liu exploited “a rare, previously unknown authentication bug.”
Apple is asking Judge Edward Davila to issue a preliminary injunction that would pause OpenAI’s work on hardware using Apple technology while the case is pending. The company also wants expedited discovery to depose witnesses and collect documents faster. Both requests are scheduled to be heard on October 1.
The case has wider implications for OpenAI’s push into physical devices. Apple’s filing references former Apple design executive Tang Tan and Jony Ive’s io Products, and the legal fight adds strain to an already tense relationship between the two companies. Apple is seeking monetary damages and a court order to stop OpenAI from using any stolen materials.
