Apple filed a 41-page lawsuit against OpenAI on July 10, 2026, accusing the AI company of stealing hardware trade secrets as it builds its first consumer device. The complaint names two former Apple engineers and lands as OpenAI eyes a potential IPO at an $852 billion valuation.
Apple has taken OpenAI to court, filing a 41-page complaint on July 10, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The suit alleges that OpenAI ran a coordinated scheme to steal Apple's hardware trade secrets while the AI company develops its first consumer device.
The accusation reaches the top of OpenAI
Apple frames the alleged theft as company-wide. The complaint says the misconduct ran from members of OpenAI's Technical Staff up to its Chief Hardware Officer, and involved coordination with business partners.
Two former Apple engineers sit at the center of the case. Tang Tan, now OpenAI's Chief Hardware Officer and a 24-year Apple veteran, allegedly used Apple's confidential project code names while recruiting and coached departing staff on getting around Apple's security. Chang Liu, a senior systems electrical engineer who spent eight years at Apple, reportedly kept an Apple-issued laptop after joining OpenAI in 2026 and used it to download confidential technical documents.
What Apple says was taken
The lawsuit lists technical specifications, engineering presentations, and a proprietary metal finishing technique as among the stolen materials, allegedly misused in OpenAI's hardware work.
The dispute marks a dramatic reversal from 2024, when the two companies partnered to bring ChatGPT into the iPhone's operating system. Tensions grew after OpenAI acquired design startup io Products for $6.4 billion in May 2025; the startup was founded by former Apple design chief Jony Ive.
Timing cuts close for OpenAI
OpenAI pushed back on the claims. The company said it has no interest in other companies' trade secrets and remains focused on building technology that empowers people.
The filing turns a former partnership between the two companies into a courtroom fight over hardware secrets. It lands as OpenAI prepares for a potential IPO in late 2026 at a reported $852 billion valuation, a step that would put its stock on public markets.
Source: Bitcoin News
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