Apple sues OpenAI for allegedly running a "coordinated campaign" to steal trade secrets through poached employees

In a complaint filed with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Apple accuses OpenAI of waging a 'coordinated campaign' to systematically steal trade secrets by poaching employees. The complaint alleges that from technical staff to the chief hardware officer, OpenAI, with the cooperation of business partners, continuously stole information, drawings, components, and other confidential materials about Apple's unreleased products. Apple says more than 400 former Apple employees now work at OpenAI.

Apple claims that OpenAI 'instructed' departing employees to continue accessing confidential data during their two-week notice period and suggested they not resign immediately or disclose their new employer. The complaint specifically names OpenAI's Chief Hardware Officer Tang Tan, who previously served as Apple's Vice President of Product Design, overseeing the development of iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods. After leaving in 2024, he co-founded io Products, which OpenAI later acquired for $6.5 billion. Apple accuses Tan of encouraging still-employed Apple candidates to bring 'actual parts' for 'show and tell' during interviews, luring more confidential information to leak.

Another named employee is former Apple Senior System Electrical Engineer Chang Liu, who joined OpenAI in January 2026. Apple alleges Liu exploited a certification vulnerability to break into Apple's internal network and downloaded 'dozens' of confidential hardware files over several weeks, including technical specifications and proprietary project data for unreleased products. Liu is also accused of taking an Apple laptop when he left.

Apple's evidence mainly focuses on personnel movement patterns and specific theft methods. Beyond Tan and Liu, the lawsuit also mentions former Apple Smart Glasses and Vision Pro department head Paul Meade joining OpenAI in June 2026. The collective departure of these executives, combined with abnormal data access detected by Apple's internal monitoring, forms the basis of the allegations. Apple points out that OpenAI actively sought employees who possessed core information about Apple's unreleased products during the recruitment process.

Regarding specific theft methods, Apple alleges Tan used his relationships with former Apple suppliers to bring supplier information into OpenAI, accelerating its hardware business. Liu's case demonstrates systematic data theft through a certification vulnerability: Apple claims Liu remotely accessed the internal network multiple times during his notice period, downloading complete technical archives for several unreleased projects. Apple emphasizes that these actions were not isolated employee mistakes but part of OpenAI's overall strategy.

OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri responded that the company 'has no interest in other companies' trade secrets' and is reviewing the complaint. But Apple stated in the lawsuit that OpenAI's hardware business is 'built on the shakiest foundation, rotten to the core by its illegal reliance on stolen trade secrets.'

The deep background of the lawsuit is OpenAI's expansion into hardware. In 2024, OpenAI acquired io Products for $6.5 billion, a company co-founded by former Apple design chief Jony Ive and veteran hardware expert Evans Hankey. This deal marked OpenAI's transformation from a software company to a hardware company. Apple's complaint names io Products as a co-defendant but does not accuse Ive or Hankey personally.

OpenAI's hardware plans remain confidential, but it is known that its first device will not be released before the end of February 2027. According to analysts and internal sources, the company is exploring multiple form factors: a pen-shaped device (codenamed 'Gumdrop') with cameras and microphones, smart headgear, a screenless speaker, and even a phone. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says OpenAI is working with MediaTek, Qualcomm, and Luxshare Precision, with mass production possible in the first half of 2027. These devices will be controlled by an AI agent, with users interacting via voice commands, and the technical foundation comes from OpenAI's newly launched ChatGPT Live mode.

Notably, Apple and OpenAI once had close cooperation. In June 2024, they announced at WWDC that ChatGPT would be integrated into Apple Intelligence. But this partnership did not yield the expected results, and Apple later shifted to a deeper collaboration with Google Gemini for Siri upgrades. The lawsuit documents imply that OpenAI obtained key information from the partnership and used it to accelerate hardware R&D—likely the trigger for the breakdown in relations.

Apple's demands include asking the court to prohibit OpenAI from continuing related behaviors, destroy all stolen proprietary materials, and require OpenAI to redesign its products to ensure they do not contain Apple technology. Apple also requests a jury trial and seeks damages. The lawsuit poses significant legal risks to OpenAI's hardware development, especially as it may be forced to change course during product design.

However, the outcome of the lawsuit is highly uncertain. OpenAI's denials and potential counterclaims will complicate the case. Legal experts point out that proving 'systematic theft' requires Apple to provide more direct evidence, such as records of specific files transferred by Tan or Liu. Additionally, while the scale of over 400 former Apple employees is striking, personnel movement itself is not uncommon in Silicon Valley; the key is whether Apple can prove that these employees indeed brought confidential information to OpenAI.

Meanwhile, court proceedings could last several years, and OpenAI's hardware plans are still moving forward. As of the end of 2025, the project already faced major challenges in software, privacy, and infrastructure, and its original release timeline had been delayed. The shadow of the lawsuit may further affect its supply chain partnerships and investor confidence.