Apple has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and two of its former employees, alleging they walked out the door with confidential hardware designs, supplier information, and engineering files. The company is now seeking a court order to prevent OpenAI from using any of that stolen intellectual property.
The lawsuit, filed on July 10, 2026, centers on trade secrets related to consumer hardware. Apple alleges the two former employees took confidential materials before joining OpenAI, not after, which makes the timing particularly damning if proven true.
The stolen materials reportedly include product designs, supplier details, and engineering files. Apple is seeking standard legal remedies along with an injunction that would block OpenAI from making use of any misappropriated information.
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A similar trade secrets case was brought by xAI against OpenAI, raising nearly identical concerns about talent poaching and proprietary knowledge walking out the door. Those earlier claims were partially dismissed, which gives OpenAI’s legal team at least some precedent to lean on.
