- OpenAI accused Apple of using “selective and false information” in its trade secret theft lawsuit, calling the legal action “careless, aggressive and oddly personal.”
- The dispute escalated after Apple sought a preliminary injunction on Monday to block two former employees and OpenAI from using alleged confidential information.
- OpenAI argued it does not possess Apple’s trade secrets and defended former executives, while investors watch the feud’s impact on a potential IPO race against Anthropic.
OpenAI publicly rebutted Apple’s trade secret theft lawsuit on Tuesday, accusing the iPhone maker of distorting facts and relying on false claims, just hours after Apple sought an injunction in the case. OpenAI posted a blog titled “Apple is getting this wrong,” pushing back against the allegations. “Apple is one of the greatest companies of all time, and built a reputation for obsessing over the smallest details. This careless, aggressive and oddly personal lawsuit sadly doesn’t live up to that reputation,” the company stated.
Apple filed a motion on Monday requesting a preliminary injunction to bar two former employees and OpenAI from accessing or disclosing alleged confidential information, according to reports. The lawsuit, filed last month, alleges that OpenAI encouraged Apple staff to share proprietary components and drawings related to upcoming products to develop its own devices.
In its rebuttal, OpenAI claimed Apple misrepresented key facts, initially saying the AI company ignored outreach before admitting lawyers had emailed the wrong person after confusing two employees with similar Asian last names. OpenAI also defended former Apple executive Tang Tan, stating he instructed employees not to use confidential information from previous employers, and disputed allegations against former engineer Chang Liu.
OpenAI argued that Apple employees sought Liu’s help locating files after his departure, blaming Apple’s failure to revoke access for exiting staff. “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,” the blog post read.
The escalating feud poses potential roadblocks for OpenAI’s planned initial public offering as it competes with rival Anthropic. Anthropic recently tripled its annual revenue run rate to $30 billion, surpassing OpenAI’s $24 billion, with Anthropic valued at $1.13 trillion compared to OpenAI’s $856.95 billion. On Stocktwits, retail sentiment was neutral for OpenAI and extremely bullish for Apple and Anthropic on Tuesday.
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