Apple sued OpenAI and former Apple employees Chang Liu and Tang Yew Tan in the US District Court for the Northern District of California on July 10, 2026, alleging trade-secret theft tied to hardware and product information that could support OpenAI's consumer hardware efforts. Apple claims former employees were asked during OpenAI job interviews to bring "actual parts" from Apple projects and alleges some departing employees accessed confidential files after deciding to leave. OpenAI has pushed back publicly and in court. On August 3, it published a rebuttal titled "Apple is getting this wrong," including redacted iMessages and emails that it said showed proper conduct during the hiring process and argued Apple was mischaracterizing routine employee transitions as corporate espionage. Apple responded the same day by seeking a preliminary injunction against OpenAI and two former Apple employees, and OpenAI filed a motion to dismiss on August 6, arguing the complaint does not establish the misconduct Apple describes. The case comes against a broader backdrop of talent moving from Apple to OpenAI, with reports saying hundreds of former Apple employees now work at the AI company. If the court denies OpenAI's dismissal bid, the dispute would move into discovery, where both sides could be required to produce internal documents and communications.