On August 31, Apple escalated its trade secrets lawsuit against OpenAI, filing what it calls "shocking evidence" from the laptop of former iPhone engineer Chang Liu. The forensic analysis claims Liu not only downloaded confidential Apple circuit schematics but actively used them in his work at OpenAI.
What the laptop allegedly shows
Apple says the MacBook—which Liu kept after leaving in January and only handed over after the lawsuit—reveals four things: Liu used a confidential Apple circuit schematic in OpenAI projects; Liu and OpenAI colleagues were aware he still had access to Apple's cloud storage; Liu instructed colleague Yu-Ting Peng to destroy evidence after learning of Apple's investigation; and Liu used a tool at OpenAI with the same name as an internal Apple engineering application. The detailed evidence is redacted in the public filing.
The bigger number
More than 400 former Apple employees now work at OpenAI. Apple filed the original lawsuit in July, naming Liu and hardware executive Tang Tan. OpenAI has pushed for dismissal, calling the claims "meritless" and arguing that Apple employees contacted Liu for help after he left. Apple counters that Liu exploited a rare authentication bug to retain access—not a common residual-access issue.
Why Apple wants speed
Apple is asking for a preliminary injunction to stop OpenAI from using its trade secrets during the case, and for expedited discovery to gather evidence before more is allegedly destroyed. The company argues every delay causes harm because the secrets are already in use. OpenAI denies wrongdoing and says it has no interest in Apple's proprietary data.