Apple has reportedly sent legal preservation letters to around 40 former employees as its trade secrets lawsuit against OpenAI continues to widen.
The letters follow Apple’s lawsuit filed last week against OpenAI and two former Apple employees. Apple alleges that OpenAI used confidential information linked to its hardware engineering and product development to support its own consumer hardware plans.
According to reports citing the Financial Times, Apple sent preservation letters to around 40 former workers now at OpenAI.
A preservation letter is a formal legal notice that tells a person or company to keep documents, communications, and other material that may be relevant to a legal dispute. Apple reportedly sent the letters because it believes the alleged misuse of confidential information may extend beyond the individuals named in its original complaint.
Apple’s lawsuit names OpenAI and former Apple employees Tang Yew Tan and Chang Liu.
Tan is OpenAI’s Chief Hardware Officer and spent 24 years at Apple, where he worked on product design. Liu joined OpenAI’s hardware team after working at Apple as a senior system electrical engineer.
Apple claims OpenAI recruited key engineers and benefited from proprietary designs, manufacturing processes, supplier information, and other trade secrets. Reuters reported that Apple’s complaint accuses OpenAI of a broad effort to acquire and exploit Apple’s confidential information through former employees, recruiting practices, and supplier relationships.
Apple’s complaint says more than 400 former Apple employees now work at OpenAI.
The company argues that the alleged misconduct may be broader than a few isolated actions by individual employees. Apple said in the complaint that the evidence uncovered so far may be only the “tip of the iceberg.”
The Verge reported that Apple’s 41-page complaint includes allegations that OpenAI asked Apple job candidates to discuss confidential projects, bring hardware components for “show and tell,” and prepare technical presentations based on Apple work. OpenAI has denied the allegations.
OpenAI has rejected Apple’s allegations.
The company told Reuters that it has “no interest in other companies’ trade secrets” and remains focused on building technology for users.
OpenAI also said in a separate statement to Bloomberg, cited in the provided report, that it is not aware of evidence showing that Apple’s complaint has merit.
Apple is asking the court to stop OpenAI from using any Apple confidential information in the development of its AI hardware device.
The company is also seeking damages and has accused Tan and Liu of breaching their employment agreements. The case could become a major legal battle over talent, trade secrets, and the race to build the next generation of AI hardware.
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