Apple Files for Injunction Against OpenAI in Trade Secrets Case

Apple asked a U.S. federal court on Tuesday to issue a preliminary injunction barring OpenAI and two former Apple engineers from using trade secrets. The legal escalation aims to halt alleged proprietary data theft as OpenAI pushes into consumer hardware, with a court hearing scheduled for October 1, 2026.

Apple has taken its legal battle against OpenAI to the next level by filing a motion for a preliminary injunction in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The iPhone maker is asking a judge to immediately order OpenAI to stop using what Apple characterizes as stolen trade secrets concerning unannounced products and proprietary processes.

The underlying lawsuit, initially filed in July, alleges that OpenAI engaged in a coordinated campaign to poach key personnel and acquire confidential hardware designs. Tuesday’s filing significantly widens the scope of the litigation.

The Expanded Legal Target and Injunction Demands

The preliminary injunction is the first legal tool of its kind deployed by Apple in this dispute. If granted, the order would force OpenAI to return confidential information, halt any efforts to acquire further private details, and freeze the use of contested data while the lawsuit proceeds. Apple also filed a concurrent motion seeking expedited document production and depositions from key figures, including former senior electrical engineer Chang Liu and former vice president of product design Tang Yew Tan, who are named as lead defendants alongside OpenAI employee Yu-Ting Peng and io Products.

Negotiations over forensic inspections broke down prior to the court filing. While OpenAI agreed to the first three conditions, the two companies failed to reach an agreement regarding forensic searches and device inspections.

OpenAI Calls Apple’s Trade Secret Lawsuit “Careless” and “Aggressive

Without court intervention, Apple argues that Apple will be irreparably harmed, warning that any delay allows OpenAI to embed stolen proprietary knowledge directly into its upcoming consumer hardware devices.

OpenAI Counters With Private Emails and Public Pushback

OpenAI responded to the legal escalation with an extensive public blog post, publishing a tranche of private emails and messages intended to undermine Apple’s narrative. The AI lab asserted that the legal action is careless, aggressive and oddly personal and fails to align with Apple’s historical reputation for meticulous detail.

Apple Working on iPhone-to-Windows Copy and Paste for EU Users

“Apple’s request for a preliminary injunction is both based on false information and completely unnecessary because we do not have, nor want, any of their trade secrets.”

OpenAI, corporate blog post

OpenAI’s published communications claim that Apple actually concedes its own employees reached out to Chang Liu after his departure on January 22, asking him for technical help and file locations rather than the other way around. Furthermore, OpenAI accused Apple’s outside counsel of administrative missteps, including contacting the wrong individual due to confused Asian last names and misrepresenting a conversation with OpenAI’s general counsel.

Commercial Stakes Behind the Hardware Ambitions

The legal collision highlights a rapid deterioration in ties between two industry giants whose relationship has pivoted from collaboration to direct rivalry.

Photo: Indiatimes

Beneath the surface partnership, analysts believe OpenAI is working on proprietary consumer hardware—such as ambient AI devices and screen-free speakers—designed to bypass traditional apps and operating systems. If successful, these devices could draw consumer attention away from the iPhone. Apple’s legal filings emphasize this exact risk, warning that if its trade secrets become embedded in OpenAI’s operations, Apple could end up competing in consumer hardware against its own proprietary technology.

Apple Overtakes Nvidia as World’s Most Valuable Company

Next Legal Deadlines in the Federal Court

District Court for the Northern District of California as both sides prepare for the upcoming preliminary injunction proceedings. A formal hearing on Apple’s request is set for October 1, 2026, where the court will evaluate whether Apple can demonstrate a strong likelihood of success and clear the high legal bar required for an extraordinary injunction.

Photo: Fortune