A trade secrets lawsuit between Apple and OpenAI is moving into a closer examination of how OpenAI interviewed former Apple employees. A judge has ordered OpenAI to provide Apple with certain hiring records on an expedited schedule, while leaving other requests for company research and hardware information unanswered for now.
What OpenAI has to provide
The records concern interviews with former Apple employees who applied for jobs in OpenAI’s consumer hardware and robotics groups. Apple sought access to materials that could show what was discussed during those interviews and whether Apple technology or components came up.
The materials may include interview checklists, guides, instructions, manuals, scripts, technical presentations, and records of interview discussions. OpenAI must turn over material it has already collected within five days, and provide any other materials related to the request within 14 days.
The expedited deadlines mean Apple will receive these records sooner than it would through the ordinary pace of the case. The judge agreed with Apple that the interview documents warranted faster access.
Messages and depositions also approved
U.S. District Judge Edward Davila also allowed Apple to access private LINE messages between people named in the case. Those include OpenAI employees Chang Liu and Alyssa Peng.
The court approved depositions for Liu and Peng, as well as OpenAI’s chief hardware officer, Tang Yew Tan. All three are former Apple employees. Depositions will give Apple an opportunity to question them as part of the lawsuit.
Together, the interview records, messages, and depositions focus attention on what former Apple employees discussed or did as they moved to OpenAI. The source article does not say what the materials contain or what the witnesses will say; the court’s order concerns access and questioning.
The claims behind Apple’s request
Apple filed the lawsuit in July and accused OpenAI of a pattern of theft. Among its allegations, Apple said former employees used Apple laptops to download confidential material, including files about unannounced technologies, features, and products.
Apple described the alleged material as including technical specifications, engineering presentations, and proprietary project data. It also alleged that former Apple employees at OpenAI coached others who were considering leaving Apple on what information to bring to their OpenAI interviews.
These are allegations in the case, not findings established by the order described in the article. The judge’s decision gives Apple access to specified evidence so the dispute can proceed; it does not resolve the underlying claims.
Some broader requests remain denied
Apple did not receive expedited access to every category of information it requested. Judge Davila denied its request for OpenAI research and development materials in areas such as metal finishes and power management.
He also denied broader discovery requests covering OpenAI hardware research and information about what former Apple employees created while working at OpenAI. Those denials are not necessarily the end of the matter: the judge left open the possibility that Apple could narrow the requests and try again.
The case unfolds as OpenAI develops a consumer hardware device that could potentially compete with the iPhone or smartphones more broadly if it becomes central to how people use software and services. The order provides Apple a path to examine certain hiring-related evidence, while the scope of any further access will depend on what the court allows next.