Apple Submits New Evidence In OpenAI Trade Secret Theft Case

Apple just filed new information in court accusing OpenAI of actively stealing trade secrets and attempting to destroy the proof. This legal fight started in July when the iPhone maker claimed former employees took sensitive data when moving to the artificial intelligence startup. Now, forensic experts have checked a laptop returned by a former engineer and discovered fresh details that could push the judge to speed up the discovery process.

Forensic tests show how the former engineer hid stolen data

The lawsuit centers on Chang Liu and Tang Tan. Liu kept a company laptop after he left for his new job at OpenAI. The hardware maker eventually got the machine back after filing the lawsuit. After looking through the files on that computer, lawyers claim they found proof showing Liu did more than just take data by mistake.

The court filing highlights several key findings from the laptop search:

• Liu downloaded a confidential circuit schematic and used it for his new work assignments.
• He and other staff members at the startup knew about his unauthorized access to third-party cloud storage accounts.
• When Liu learned about an internal investigation, he sent instructions to a colleague on how to destroy evidence.
• The colleague confirmed she would follow the instructions to hide the information.
• Liu also used an engineering tool at his new job that shares the same name as a custom application used for internal development work.

By bringing these points to the judge, the tech giant wants to force a faster legal review. A quicker discovery phase would require the startup to hand over internal messages and documents sooner rather than later. If the court agrees, we could soon see how much hardware data moved between the two companies.

The outcome of this case might reshape how tech companies protect hardware designs when employees change jobs. The court has a hearing set for October to decide what happens next.