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

The courtroom drama 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 public rebuttal titled "Apple Got It Wrong," complete with screenshots of emails and iMessage chats. The message? Apple's case is built on mistakes and mismanagement, not evidence.

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 stealing design blueprints, supply chain secrets, and manufacturing processes for iPhones and Apple Watches. Apple claimed the duo systematically siphoned confidential data as they jumped ship to OpenAI and its hardware arm, io Products. To stop the bleeding, Apple sought an injunction to bar OpenAI and the ex-employees from using any Apple secrets, warning of "irreparable harm."

But OpenAI's response dismantled Apple's narrative piece by piece. First, Apple alleged it had reached out to OpenAI but got no response. The truth? Apple's external lawyers mixed up the surnames of two Asian employees and sent emails to the wrong recipients. OpenAI even corrected the mistake, and Apple's law firm eventually admitted the mix-up. Ouch.

Second, Apple claimed Chang Liu kept logging into its internal network after leaving to download engineering files. OpenAI's iMessage evidence tells a different story: after Liu left in January 2026, it was an Apple employee who contacted him, asking for help locating old project documents. So much for "unauthorized access."

Here's the kicker: the access issue was on Apple's side. OpenAI pointed out that Liu could still access some files because Apple's internal system management is sloppy—employees leave, but iCloud sharing permissions linger. That's not a security breach; that's a housekeeping failure, and Apple's using it to smear a former employee.

In its response, 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." The company insisted it has no interest in Apple's trade secrets, and it doesn't want them.

This clash is more than a legal spat. It's a power struggle over the next generation of AI-native hardware. As AI models get smarter and edge devices become more capable, the traditional smartphone and app ecosystem faces disruption. Apple is scrambling to protect its decades-old supply chain moat, while OpenAI wants to prove its hardware venture is clean and independent.

As of now, the Northern District Court of California hasn't ruled on the injunction, and Apple hasn't publicly responded. But one thing's clear: this fight is far from over, and it's going to get messier before it gets resolved.

Key Points

  • The Mix-up: Apple's lawyers emailed the wrong people due to a surname mix-up, undermining their claim of ignored outreach.
  • The iMessage Evidence: OpenAI shows an Apple employee asked Chang Liu for help after he left, contradicting accusations of unauthorized access.
  • Apple's Sloppy Management: OpenAI argues that lingering access permissions are Apple's own fault, not a security breach.
  • The Bigger Battle: This lawsuit is about the future of AI hardware, with Apple defending its ecosystem and OpenAI pushing for independence.
  • Status: The court has yet to decide on the injunction, and Apple remains silent for now.