OpenAI Publishes Private Exchanges to Counter Apple Trade Secret Claims

The dispute centers on the recruitment of two former Apple veterans: Chang Liu, a former iPhone engineer, and Tang Tan, a 25-year Apple employee who previously managed iPhone and Apple Watch design. Now operating as OpenAI’s chief hardware officer, Tan and his colleague are accused by Apple of siphoning confidential data regarding unreleased products and technical processes. Apple sought a preliminary injunction on Monday to halt the pair from accessing or disclosing any proprietary information while the litigation proceeds.

OpenAI fired back in a blog post titled “Apple is getting this wrong,” describing the lawsuit as an aggressive, personal attack. The company maintains that the request for an injunction is based on falsehoods, asserting that it has no interest in, nor physical possession of, Apple’s trade secrets. By providing a curated look at the hiring process and internal communications, OpenAI is clearly betting that transparency—or at least its version of it—will serve as a potent defense against the legal pressure.