Apple has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI for alleged trade secret theft, prompting a U.S. court to order OpenAI to submit relevant materials promptly.
According to Yonhap News, on October 13, U.S. District Judge Edward Davila in Northern California partially granted Apple’s request for early evidence disclosure.
The court noted the risk of evidence being destroyed, referencing conversations between Chang Ryu and Alyssa Fung, who both transitioned from Apple to OpenAI.
Fung maintained contact with Ryu after he moved to OpenAI, taking over most of his responsibilities, and later also joined OpenAI.
Judge Davila expressed agreement with Apple’s assertion that “the trade secrets are so deeply intertwined with OpenAI’s hardware products and R&D activities that the risk of irreparable harm is significant.”
As a result, OpenAI is required to submit device forensic images, interview materials related to Apple alumni, and messenger conversations between Ryu and Fung by October 14. The court also ordered early testimony from Tang Yu Tan, OpenAI’s Chief Hardware Officer, along with Ryu and Fung, within 30 days.
However, the court denied Apple’s request for early evidence disclosure regarding internal documents related to hardware R&D. Additionally, it instructed Apple to provide a specific definition of the term “Apple-derived information” that it is using in the case.
Apple filed the lawsuit in July against OpenAI and former Apple hardware engineers, seeking an injunction against trade secret infringement and damages. Apple claims that employees who worked at the company for 24 years stole internal confidential information, including designs and specifications of unreleased hardware devices, before moving to OpenAI. Apple asserts that these individuals accessed confidential documents and systems shortly before their departure.
In response, OpenAI has denied the allegations, attributing them to misunderstandings stemming from Apple’s lax data security and exit management.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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