On July 10, 2026, Apple filed suit against OpenAI and two former Apple employees for trade secret misappropriation and breach of contract in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. It alleges that OpenAI systematically obtained Apple's confidential information to accelerate the development of consumer-facing hardware.
July 10, 2026 · Northern District of California
Apple Sues OpenAI Over Alleged Trade Secret Theft
Apple accuses OpenAI and two former Apple employees of systematically obtaining confidential information — from suppliers to unreleased hardware — to accelerate OpenAI's push into consumer devices.
$6.5B
Paid by OpenAI to acquire Jony Ive's io Products
400+
Former Apple employees reportedly hired by OpenAI
3
Defendants: OpenAI + two ex-Apple staff
Alleged Conduct in the Complaint
Tang Yew Tan
Now OpenAI Chief Hardware Officer
Emailed supplier information to himself while at Apple; allegedly kept using confidential data after leaving.
Chang Liu
Former Apple employee
Retained an Apple laptop, exploited an authentication bug to reach the internal network, and downloaded dozens of files on unreleased hardware.
Recruiting Tactics
Spanning "every level"
Candidates asked to bring "actual parts"; suppliers questioned on Apple-only processes and components.
A Complicated Relationship
Partners in AI, rivals in hardware.
Partnership · since 2024
ChatGPT integrated into Apple Intelligence — Siri, Writing Tools, Visual Intelligence across iPhone, iPad, Mac and Vision Pro.
Rivalry · hardware
OpenAI's $6.5B io Products deal and device ramp-up now treated by Apple as a direct threat to unreleased products.
What Apple Is Seeking
Injunction on use of information
Product redesigns
Damages
OpenAI's response: it has no interest in others' trade secrets and is focused on building innovative technology. A similar 2025 xAI suit over Grok secrets was dismissed in June 2026 — Apple's case is distinguished by its focus on unreleased products and manufacturing know-how.
One reading
Routine IP protection — and a sign that OpenAI's hardware ambitions have become genuinely serious.
Open question
Was the conduct limited to individuals or organizational? Discovery may reveal more — and could strain the existing partnership.
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