Michael Ramacciotti has filed his answer in Apple’s lawsuit over the “Liquid Glass” iOS redesign leak. He denies any conspiracy with Jon Prosser, while admitting he accessed an Apple employee’s development iPhone and joined a FaceTime call to show unreleased features. He says Prosser paid him $650 after the call, not by prior agreement.
Apple sued Prosser and Ramacciotti in July, alleging a coordinated scheme to obtain and publish confidential iOS details. The complaint says Prosser used footage from the FaceTime session to produce videos about the visual revamp.
Prosser has not formally answered the complaint. A court clerk entered default against him after he missed the deadline, a step that lets Apple pursue a default judgment. Prosser told The Verge he has been in “active communication” with Apple, but the docket records the default entry.
In his filing, Ramacciotti says he did not plan to injure Apple and did not know Prosser was recording the FaceTime call. He adds that he did not fully grasp the sensitivity of what he saw, noting the Apple employee had previously shown him new iOS features in person. The answer repeatedly labels Prosser as the “defaulted defendant,” signaling distance between the co-defendants.
What Ramacciotti’s Answer Changes
The answer sharpens three points. First, Ramacciotti admits access but rejects any agreement to steal trade secrets. Second, he places the $650 payment after the call, pushing back on any claim of a prearranged bounty. Third, he says he lacks Apple confidential material and denies causing damages.
Apple’s original complaint tied the YouTube videos to leaked development software and framed the incident as a trade-secrets theft. Apple is still free to press its case, and the default against Prosser raises the stakes for him even as Ramacciotti contests liability.
What comes next is procedural. Apple can seek a default judgment against Prosser. Ramacciotti’s case will continue on the merits unless the parties settle or the court rules on motions. For now, the record shows two very different strategies: silence on one side of the caption, and a line-by-line denial on the other.
You can read Ramacciotti’s filing on CourtListener. It includes his denials, his account of the FaceTime session, and the $650 payment reference.
