OpenAI has filed a motion requesting that a federal judge dismiss Apple’s lawsuit alleging the AI company stole trade secrets. In its legal filing, OpenAI characterized Apple’s claims as fundamentally flawed, arguing that the tech giant misrepresented routine employee conduct as theft and improperly classified standard product development information as confidential trade secrets. The company further contended that Apple failed to take reasonable precautions to protect the information in question.
Apple’s lawsuit, filed in July, centers on allegations that former Apple employees who joined OpenAI illegally downloaded and transferred confidential documents to support the startup’s hardware development initiatives. OpenAI’s response challenges the legitimacy of these accusations, claiming they are based on selective or misleading interpretations of internal communications and are poorly substantiated overall.
OpenAI’s legal team argued that the case represents an attempt by Apple to address its own competitive shortcomings through litigation rather than genuine innovation. The company emphasized its commitment to recruiting top talent and suggested that former Apple employees chose to leave voluntarily, drawn by OpenAI’s technological advances and forward-thinking approach.
A federal judge is scheduled to hear arguments on OpenAI’s dismissal motion on October 1st. Separately, Apple has requested a preliminary injunction to prevent OpenAI and the named employees from accessing or using alleged confidential information while the lawsuit proceeds.
Originally reported by Theverge →
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