Overview
- Apple filed a federal complaint Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California naming OpenAI, its io Products unit, Tang Yew Tan and Chang Liu as defendants.
- The suit says Chang Liu kept an Apple laptop after leaving, exploited an authentication bug to access Apple's network and downloaded dozens of confidential hardware files while working at OpenAI.
- Apple alleges Tang Tan directed job candidates still at Apple to bring physical Apple parts to interviews and circulated an internal 'Need to Know' offboarding document to help recruits evade Apple security checks.
- The complaint claims OpenAI misled at least one longtime Apple supplier into performing a proprietary metal‑finishing technique and probed other vendors using Apple‑specific terminology.
- Apple says it raised concerns to OpenAI in February with no substantive response and is seeking injunctions, damages and return or preservation of materials, a move that could affect OpenAI's device timeline and IPO plans.