Apple and OpenAI Head Toward Key Court Hearing in Trade Secrets Dispute
Apple’s legal battle with OpenAI is heating up ahead of a major court hearing scheduled for October 14 in the US District Court for the Northern District of California. The case centers on Apple’s claim that confidential information related to hardware design, manufacturing, and product development was improperly shared with OpenAI.
The dispute began in July, when Apple filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, its hardware division io Products, and former Apple employees Chang Liu and Tang Tan. Apple alleges that sensitive internal information was passed along after the employees left the company. OpenAI has strongly denied the accusations, arguing that it does not have Apple’s trade secrets and has no interest in using them.
Now, just before the court considers Apple’s request for a preliminary injunction, the two sides are clashing over what evidence should be allowed.
Apple Seeks to Restrict OpenAI’s Access to Confidential Information
Apple is asking the court to issue a preliminary injunction that would prevent OpenAI and the other defendants from accessing, using, or sharing any confidential Apple information while the lawsuit continues.
To support that request, Apple submitted five expert reports with its final brief. However, the defendants objected to two of those reports in late September, claiming Apple introduced new evidence too late in the process. They argued that the timing left them without a fair chance to respond.
Apple has now pushed back, accusing the defendants of violating court procedures themselves. According to Apple, the defendants’ filing went beyond what the rules allow. The company says their objection was supposed to focus only on whether the evidence was improperly introduced and should have been limited to five pages. Instead, Apple claims the defendants submitted nine pages and used the filing to revisit broader arguments about the case.
Former Apple Employee’s Declaration Becomes a Key Point of Dispute
One of Apple’s main concerns is a new declaration from former Apple employee Chang Liu. In the declaration, Liu reportedly explains why he erased his iMac before returning it to Apple and discusses his handling of a confidential Apple file.
Apple argues that if the defendants were allowed to submit new explanations and arguments, then the court should also consider Apple’s expert reports rather than strike them from the record.
In short, Apple’s position is that both sides have now responded to the contested material, so the judge should review the full set of filings before deciding whether to grant the injunction.
Why the October 14 Hearing Matters
The upcoming hearing could have major consequences for OpenAI’s hardware ambitions. OpenAI is reportedly preparing to announce its first hardware product later this year, with shipments expected to begin in 2027.
If the court grants Apple’s preliminary injunction, OpenAI’s hardware development could face closer legal scrutiny while the case moves forward. That does not mean Apple would automatically win the lawsuit, but it could place temporary restrictions on how OpenAI handles certain information and development processes.
For Apple, the case is about protecting highly valuable internal knowledge related to product design and manufacturing. For OpenAI, the lawsuit comes at a sensitive time as the company expands beyond software and artificial intelligence services into consumer hardware.
The court is not expected to issue a final ruling on the entire case at the October 14 hearing. However, the decision on Apple’s preliminary injunction request could shape the next stage of the dispute and influence how quickly OpenAI can move ahead with its hardware plans.
As the hearing approaches, the lawsuit has become more than a disagreement over evidence. It is now a high-stakes clash between one of the world’s most influential hardware companies and one of the most prominent names in artificial intelligence.
