On October 14, 2026, OpenAI filed a supplement in Apple’s trade-secrets lawsuit asking to discuss an investigation into a former employee’s alleged transfer of confidential device files—and possible counterclaims later. The filing describes OpenAI’s allegations; it does not present a court ruling. Read Document 176.
What OpenAI filed
Document 176 supplements the parties’ October 1 joint case-management statement in Apple Inc. v. Chang Liu et al. OpenAI asked for an opportunity to discuss a process for investigating the alleged conduct and, if necessary, bringing counterclaims later. The filing is a procedural request, rather than a counterclaim.
The supplement adds a new procedural development to the dispute covered in NeoTeo’s earlier report.
What OpenAI alleges about the files
OpenAI alleges that a former employee who had moved from Apple to OpenAI, worked there for six months, and returned to Apple sent more than 100 confidential files about at least one unreleased OpenAI device to personal accounts. The filing says some were sent just after midnight in Singapore on June 2, 2026, the employee’s final day at OpenAI.
The alleged files included device images, engineering and manufacturing data, supplier information and project files, as well as standards for cosmetic finishes and reports on coating and sealing hardware components. OpenAI also says the former employee presented its product plans to Apple senior leaders, including the company’s vice president of operations in Asia.
Apple’s response and the case status
CNN reported that Apple said it had found no evidence supporting OpenAI’s allegations. Apple also pointed to its policies against using confidential information from previous employers and said it would work with OpenAI to remediate any OpenAI information found on Apple systems. These are the parties’ positions in the dispute.
In Document 176, OpenAI listed the trial date as “None Set.”
