OpenAI Fires Back at Apple’s Trade Secret Lawsuit With Chat Logs Showing Apple Employees Kept Texting Their Former Colleague
OpenAI has filed a court response to Apple’s trade secret lawsuit, presenting chat logs that reveal Apple employees continued texting a former colleague after he left the company to work for OpenAI. The case revolves around a former Apple engineer, whose identity has not been disclosed, who allegedly stole trade secrets related to autonomous vehicle technology. Apple sued in August, claiming the engineer downloaded confidential files before joining OpenAI. OpenAI’s rebuttal aims to show that Apple’s own employees maintained routine, open communication with him, undermining the claim that secrets were improperly obtained.
The Core Dispute: Did Apple Employees Knowingly Share Secrets?
Apple alleges the engineer, while still at Apple, accessed and downloaded proprietary documents about “Project Titan” — the company’s self-driving car initiative. He then left for OpenAI in 2023, according to the suit.
OpenAI counters that the chats demonstrate no secrecy was violated. The logs show Apple employees repeatedly asked the engineer for updates on his work at OpenAI and discussed industry topics, with no indication he used stolen data.
“Apple’s own employees were texting him about his new role — they did not treat his knowledge as a protected trade secret,” OpenAI’s filing states.
Key Evidence From the Chat Logs
OpenAI’s response highlights several exchanges:
- Continued contact after departure: Apple employees texted the engineer within days of his resignation, asking about his projects at OpenAI.
- Casual, non-confidential topics: The conversations cover general industry trends and personal updates, not proprietary Apple information.
- No mention of stolen files: Apple’s employees never referenced any documents the engineer allegedly took, nor did they warn him not to use them.
The filing argues this “belies any suggestion that Apple treated the information as a trade secret requiring confidentiality.”
Apple’s Response and the Broader Legal Context
Apple has not yet publicly commented on OpenAI’s filing. The company originally sought an injunction to prevent OpenAI from using any alleged trade secrets and demanded financial damages.
The case is part of a wider trend: tech companies increasingly sue former employees over intellectual property, but proving trade secret misappropriation requires showing active concealment. OpenAI’s chat logs could weaken Apple’s claim by suggesting the information was not guarded.
What the Chat Logs Do Not Show
OpenAI’s filing does not dispute that the engineer downloaded files. Instead, it argues that mere possession does not equal theft when the information was not treated as secret by Apple itself. The company also notes that the engineer voluntarily returned his Apple devices and deleted any company files before starting at OpenAI.
Legal experts say the case hinges on whether Apple can prove the engineer used the downloaded data. The chat logs may help OpenAI argue that even Apple employees saw no reason to keep the information hidden.
Potential Outcomes and Industry Implications
If the court sides with OpenAI, it could set a precedent limiting trade secret claims when companies fail to enforce confidentiality internally. Conversely, a ruling for Apple could empower employers to pursue aggressive lawsuits against talent moving to rivals.
Both companies have deep pockets — OpenAI is valued at over $80 billion, while Apple’s market cap exceeds $2.5 trillion. The case is expected to proceed through discovery, with more documents likely to be made public.
“This lawsuit is about competition, not confidentiality,” an unnamed source close to OpenAI told reporters. “Apple is trying to restrict talent mobility by weaponizing its IP policies.”
Next Steps in the Legal Process
The court has scheduled a preliminary hearing for next month. Apple will have an opportunity to respond to OpenAI’s chat log evidence and request further discovery.
The engineer remains employed at OpenAI, where he works on AI model safety — not autonomous driving.
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