{"id":251714,"date":"2026-07-13T18:22:10","date_gmt":"2026-07-13T18:22:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/13\/the-wildest-allegations-in-apples-trade-secrets-lawsuit-against-openai-techcrunch\/"},"modified":"2026-07-13T18:22:10","modified_gmt":"2026-07-13T18:22:10","slug":"the-wildest-allegations-in-apples-trade-secrets-lawsuit-against-openai-techcrunch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/13\/the-wildest-allegations-in-apples-trade-secrets-lawsuit-against-openai-techcrunch\/","title":{"rendered":"The wildest allegations in Apple\u2019s trade secrets lawsuit against OpenAI | TechCrunch"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p id=\"speakable-summary\" class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Apple\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2026\/07\/10\/apple-sues-openai-over-alleged-trade-secret-theft\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">trade secret lawsuit against OpenAI<\/a> is packed with a number of extraordinary allegations that paint a picture of a coordinated effort to extract confidential information from current and former Apple employees. But what\u2019s perhaps most striking is how casually the alleged misconduct is described, including one message that reads, \u201cLOL, I found out I can access the [network storage], so funny.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The 41-page <a href=\"https:\/\/www.documentcloud.org\/documents\/28453229-apple-v-openai\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">complaint<\/a>, which was filed on Friday, is filled with unusually detailed allegations, like this and others. Here are some that stood out the most to us:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><strong>\u201cNormalized and exemplified by leadership.\u201d <\/strong>With this description of OpenAI, Apple is making it clear its lawsuit isn\u2019t just focused on rogue employees, but that misconduct like this is part of OpenAI\u2019s culture and is led from the top.<\/li>\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><strong>\u201cRotten to its core.\u201d <\/strong>Leave it to Apple to work a rotten fruit analogy into its criticism of OpenAI\u2019s behavior in this case. The AI model maker is rumored to be working on a hardware device to challenge the iPhone, potentially a smartphone of its own. But Apple wants to stress that what OpenAI is developing was allegedly built with Apple\u2019s trade secrets. \u201cOpenAI\u2019s nascent hardware business now rests on the shakiest of foundations, rotten to its core by its illegal reliance on misappropriated trade secrets,\u201d the complaint states.<\/li>\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><strong>\u201cThis is the tip of the iceberg.\u201d<\/strong> In addition to documenting the allegations against its former employees, Apple is suggesting that the alleged misconduct outlined in the complaint is only a fraction of what it will uncover after the discovery process gets underway. In discovery, corporate documents and communications, including texts and emails, are obtained, potentially uncovering other examples of this kind of behavior at OpenAI. \u201cDiscovery will expose that the misappropriation has been occurring on a scale many times greater than the several instances described below,\u201d Apple\u2019s complaint states.<\/li>\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><strong>\u201cLOL, I found out I can access the [network storage], so funny.\u201d<\/strong> Apple says that Chang Liu, previously a senior systems electrical engineer at Apple before joining OpenAI, sent this message to an Apple employee, Yu-Ting \u201cAlyssa\u201d Peng, who allegedly was a conduit between Apple and OpenAI. Peng later left to join OpenAI herself but is not a defendant in the lawsuit. Peng allegedly replied to the message, \u201cI\u2019m ready.\u201d Apple claims that Liu was able to access Apple\u2019s systems by exploiting an authentication bug, which he did from Peng\u2019s Apple-issued work computer.<\/li>\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><strong>\u201cI still have another computer.\u201d<\/strong> Liu allegedly also texted this within hours of leaving Apple, referring to another Apple computer he allegedly planned to use to access Apple\u2019s confidential information. Apple discovered the message on Peng\u2019s Apple-issued work laptop.<\/li>\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><strong>\u201cDidn\u2019t even know we could take those from the office.\u201d <\/strong>One of the wilder allegations is that OpenAI job candidates working at Apple were directed by OpenAI chief hardware officer Tang Yew Tan, who spent 24 years at Apple, most recently as VP of product design for iPhone and Apple Watch, to bring \u201cact ual parts\u201d from Apple to their interviews at OpenAI for \u201cshow and tell sessions.\u201d One candidate was surprised by the request, saying he didn\u2019t even realize that Apple parts could be taken out of the office, Apple alleges. Apple also says employees were instructed to bring \u201cCAD\/design artifacts\u201d and \u201cprototypes\u201d to interviews.<\/li>\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><strong>Avoiding the \u201cdreaded walkout.\u201d <\/strong>Apple alleges that OpenAI coached departing Apple employees on how to evade Apple\u2019s security procedures to reduce the chance their alleged trade secret theft would be caught. The complaint claims that OpenAI circulated an internal Apple document bearing a \u201cNeed to know\u201d designation to new hires with details on how to avoid the \u201cdreaded walkout,\u201d which would immediately remove them from Apple after giving notice, instead of letting them continue to work for the typical two weeks, which would allow them more time to access Apple\u2019s confidential information.<\/li>\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><strong>\u201cLet OpenAI know \u2018asap\u2019\u201d if asked to sign anything when quitting Apple. <\/strong>In addition to helping OpenAI job candidates avoid Apple\u2019s security procedures, the complaint alleges that if Apple asked departing employees to sign anything at an exit interview, they should let OpenAI know immediately, and advised them not to sign.<\/li>\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><strong>\u201cOver four hundred former Apple employees now working at OpenAI.\u201d <\/strong>Another surprise: the complaint reveals the extent to which Apple employees have left the iPhone maker to work for OpenAI. Apple leverages this figure to paint a picture of the potential scale of the problem, noting that \u201cit is not surprising that certain OpenAI personnel have knowledge of Apple\u2019s confidential and proprietary information, which they are obligated to keep confidential. But OpenAI has resorted to exploiting this confidential information\u2026\u201d<\/li>\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><strong>\u201cio\u2026access, exploited and used Apple\u2019s secret, proprietary industrial design techniques, processes, and know-how related to metal-finishing.\u201d <\/strong> Founded by former Apple employees, including Jony Ive, the company io <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2025\/05\/21\/jony-ive-to-lead-openais-design-work-following-6-5b-acquisition-of-his-company\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">was acquired by OpenAI last year<\/a>\u00a0in a $6.5 billion deal. Now, io is a defendant in this lawsuit, as Apple alleges that the firm used its industrial design techniques by misleading Apple\u2019s partner into believing that it had Apple\u2019s permission to carry out a \u201cconfidential metal-finishing technique,\u201d the complaint states. Apple also alleges that OpenAI approached a supplier using its confidential information about design and components related to power and batteries, even using \u201cinternal terminology\u201d to ask targeted questions that \u201conly Apple-insiders would know to ask.\u201d)<\/li>\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><strong>\u201cApple is left with no choice.\u201d<\/strong> Though seemingly typical legal language, in this case, it appears that Apple may have tried to resolve the situation outside the courts first. The tech giant says that it first tried to contact OpenAI in February, raising its concerns, but OpenAI never responded.  <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So far, OpenAI has only commented publicly via\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/drewpusateri\" target=\"_blank\">a statement shared on X<\/a> on Friday, which reads: \u201cWe have no interest in other companies\u2019 trade secrets. We remain focused on building innovative technology that empowers people everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em>When you purchase through links in our articles, <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/techcrunch-affiliate-monetization-standards\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">we may earn a small commission<\/a>. This doesn\u2019t affect our editorial independence.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2026\/07\/13\/the-wildest-allegations-in-apples-trade-secrets-lawsuit-against-openai\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Apple\u2019s trade secret lawsuit against OpenAI is packed with a number of extraordinary allegations that paint a picture of a coordinated effort to extract confidential information from current and former Apple employees. But what\u2019s perhaps most striking is how casually the alleged misconduct is described, including one message that reads, \u201cLOL, I found out I [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":251715,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-251714","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tech"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/251714","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=251714"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/251714\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/251715"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=251714"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=251714"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=251714"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}