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OpenAI Fires Back at Apple: Your Lawyers Emailed the Wrong Person

The legal clash between Apple and OpenAI took a sharp turn on August 4th. After Apple filed for an injunction and expedited discovery in a California court, OpenAI fired back with a response titled "Apple Got It Wrong," complete with email and iMessage screenshots. The message? Apple's claims are built on shaky ground.

The saga began on July 10th, when Apple sued two former employees—senior engineer Chang Liu and ex-product design VP Tang Tan, now at OpenAI—accusing them of systematically swiping design blueprints, supply chain secrets, and manufacturing know-how for iPhones and Apple Watches. Apple sought an injunction to stop OpenAI and the accused from using any confidential info, arguing that without it, they'd suffer irreparable harm.

But OpenAI's rebuttal dismantles Apple's case piece by piece. First, Apple claimed it reached out to OpenAI but got no response. The reality? Apple's external lawyers mixed up the surnames of two Asian employees and sent emails to the wrong people. OpenAI even corrected the mistake, and Apple's law firm eventually admitted the blunder.

Second, Apple accused Chang Liu of logging into the internal network after leaving to download engineering files. Yet OpenAI's iMessage records tell a different story: after Liu left in January 2026, it was an Apple employee who approached him, asking for help locating old project documents.

Here's the kicker: the access problem was on Apple's side. OpenAI points out that Liu could still access some files because Apple's system management was sloppy—employees left, but iCloud sharing permissions weren't revoked. That's not theft; that's negligence.

OpenAI didn't mince words: "Apple is a great company that focuses on details, but this lawsuit, filled with carelessness, aggressiveness, and personal emotions, does not match its reputation." They insist they have no interest in Apple's trade secrets.

This spat is more than a legal squabble. It's a battle for the future of AI hardware. As AI models get more efficient and edge computing advances, the next generation of devices could reshape the smartphone landscape. Apple is scrambling to protect its decades-old supply chain moat, while OpenAI wants to prove its hardware venture is clean. The court hasn't ruled yet, and Apple hasn't commented publicly. But one thing's clear: this fight is far from over.

Key Points

  • Email mix-up: Apple's lawyers sent emails to wrong recipients, undermining their claim of no response.
  • Access issue: Apple's own failure to revoke permissions allowed former employees to access files.
  • Bigger stakes: The dispute reflects the race for dominance in AI-native hardware.