Apple Sues OpenAI in Blockbuster Lawsuit Over Hardware Trade Secrets

Apple has filed a massive federal lawsuit against OpenAI in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, accusing the AI company of orchestrating a systematic campaign to steal highly classified hardware trade secrets. The lawsuit alleges that OpenAI used hundreds of former Apple employees to gain proprietary manufacturing and supply chain knowledge to accelerate its own hardware ambitions. Key defendants include OpenAI, its subsidiary io Products, and former Apple engineers Tang Tan and Chang Liu.

The complaint details specific instances of corporate espionage, including allegations that Tang Tan requested candidates to bring physical Apple prototypes to interviews and provided guides on how to evade internal security investigations. Additionally, the lawsuit claims Chang Liu exploited a server vulnerability to download over 1,000 pages of top-secret data, including CAD drawings and proprietary manufacturing processes, shortly before joining OpenAI.

This legal battle marks a dramatic shift from the previous partnership between the two companies. While OpenAI has denied the accusations, stating they are focused on innovation rather than trade secrets, the outcome of this litigation could significantly impact OpenAI's hardware development and set new legal precedents regarding intellectual property and employee mobility in the Silicon Valley AI talent war.

(Source：Newsvot)