We don't want their trade secrets: OpenAI breaks silence on Apple lawsuit, makes internal chats public

OpenAI has shared a blog post claiming that Apple is getting it wrong when it comes to its lawsuit against the AI startup. This comes just hours after Apple asked for a preliminary injunction against OpenAI in the case.

In Short

• OpenAI says Apple is getting this wrong
• AI startup says it does not want Apple's trade secrets
• OpenAI releases internal messages and emails exchanged

OpenAI has pushed back against Apple’s trade secrets lawsuit. In a blog post, the AI startup says that the iPhone maker is “getting this wrong.” In case you are unaware, Apple has sued OpenAI and two former Apple employees who now work at the AI startup for allegedly stealing confidential information and trade secrets.

The blog post comes after Apple asked for a preliminary injunction against OpenAI in the case that would prohibit OpenAI and the two former Apple employees from accessing, acquiring, using, any information Apple claims is its confidential trade secrets.

OpenAI stated, “Apple’s request for a preliminary injunction is both based on false information and completely unnecessary because we do not have, nor want, any of their trade secrets.”

OpenAI says lawsuit is careless

In the blog post, the AI startup called Apple “one of the greatest companies of all time,” and said that the lawsuit did not live up to the company’s reputation.

OpenAI described the lawsuit as “careless, aggressive and oddly personal.” It said Apple had claimed it contacted OpenAI in February and received no response, but later admitted its outside lawyers had emailed the wrong person after confusing surnames of two OpenAI employees – Wang and Chang.

The Sam Altman-led startup says that Apple had wrongly claimed there had been a discussion with its general counsel. In internal emails shared in the post by OpenAI, its general counsel, Che Chang, told Apple’s in-house lawyers that Apple’s external counsel Gabriel Gross was “lying about speaking with me on the phone.”

OpenAI also disputed Apple’s claims about Liu, a former senior system electrical engineer. The AI startup also shared internal messages that showed Apple employees asking Liu for help locating and transferring files after his last day on January 22, 2026. The AI startup claims that Apple was now trying to blame “residual access”, while not disclosing that former employees could still access files because Apple had failed to manage system access properly when they left.

On Tan, Apple’s former vice-president of product design for iPhone and Apple Watch, OpenAI said Apple had accused him of trying to obtain and use trade secrets. OpenAI said Tan had always been clear that the team did not want, and must not use, confidential information from other companies.

OpenAI said it had taken the allegations seriously and had offered to work with Apple to resolve them, but Apple chose to file suit instead.

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