Apple and OpenAI are heading to court for the first major hearing in Apple’s lawsuit accusing the AI company of using confidential information to support its upcoming hardware products.
The hearing will focus on two important requests, with Apple seeking a preliminary injunction against OpenAI while OpenAI asks the court to dismiss the lawsuit entirely.
Apple filed the case in July and accused OpenAI, its hardware chief, and former iPhone engineer Chang Liu of improperly obtaining information related to product design, manufacturing, components, testing methods, and Apple’s supply chain.
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Apple claims OpenAI used that information while developing consumer hardware and says the company also tried to obtain confidential details during interviews with current and former Apple employees.
Apple wants OpenAI to stop using confidential information
US District Judge Edward Davila will consider Apple’s request for an order requiring OpenAI to stop using any confidential Apple information and to stop trying to obtain additional proprietary material.
Apple alleges that OpenAI encouraged some job candidates to bring prototypes and design materials into interviews for demonstrations, which Apple argues created another route for sensitive information to leave the company.
Judge Davila also ordered OpenAI to quickly provide documents connected to the alleged use of Apple trade secrets in its consumer hardware development efforts.
If Apple receives the preliminary injunction, the restrictions would remain in place while the broader lawsuit continues.
OpenAI wants the lawsuit dismissed
OpenAI denies Apple’s claims and argues that the lawsuit does not identify specific trade secrets that were actually stolen.
The company says Apple has described broad areas of hardware development instead of identifying clearly defined confidential information.
OpenAI also claims Apple’s own security and employee offboarding practices contributed to the dispute, including situations where former employees retained access to files after leaving.
The company has also pointed to messages showing Apple employees contacting Liu after his departure and asking technical questions about earlier projects.
Apple maintains that those exchanges are separate from its central allegation that Liu later accessed internal storage and downloaded confidential material.
The case, Apple v. Liu, is being heard in the US District Court for the Northern District of California.
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