Apple Sues OpenAI and Two Former Employees, Alleging Systematic Theft of Hardware Trade Secrets

Apple has filed a federal lawsuit against OpenAI, accusing the ChatGPT maker of orchestrating a coordinated campaign to steal confidential hardware designs, manufacturing processes and supplier relationships through former Apple employees. The complaint, lodged on July 10, 2026 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, escalates a rivalry between two of the most closely watched companies in technology and casts a legal shadow over OpenAI's push into consumer AI devices. (Reuters)