As part of a new ruling in Apple’s trade secrets lawsuit against OpenAI, Apple has been granted access to testimony from OpenAI employees and a selection of related documents.
Apple alleges that its former employees, Tang Yew Tan and Chang Liu, stole the company’s trade secrets and intellectual property in an attempt to benefit OpenAI. According to Apple, the two stole information by continuing to use work-provided devices and services after leaving the company.
The two also allegedly abused the bugs, emailed each other supplier information, and instructed Apple employees interviewing OpenAI to bring along unreleased Apple hardware. As a result, Apple filed a lawsuit against its former employees and OpenAI in July 2026.
While there has been considerable back and forth in the months since, the presiding judge has yet to render a verdict. However, on Tuesday, Judge Edward Davila partially granted Apple’s requests for relevant information about OpenAI about the employees in question.
Apple’s request is essentially granted
According to the associated court ruling, OpenAI will be required to provide “all forensic images ‘collected’ in connection with Apple’s claims. Additionally, OpenAI will be required to turn over all documentation relating to Apple employee interviews for OpenAI’s Consumer Hardware Products Group.
Additionally, Apple will have access to all Line conversations between Chang Liu and Yu-Ting “Alyssa” Peng, another former Apple employee who later joined OpenAI. Apple will also be able to depose all three former employees.
Apple’s request for early discovery was also granted. The court agreed that “Apple needs timely discovery to uncover the extent of any alleged misappropriation of Apple’s trade secrets,” so that they do not become “entangled in OpenAI’s hardware products or other research.”
However, Apple didn’t get everything it wanted. The court found that some of Apple’s demands were “fairly broad that complying with them would prove burdensome to defendants.”
In short, Apple’s requests for information were so broad and all-encompassing that some of them amounted to an “extremely burdensome and perhaps untenable task.” While the wording of Apple’s requests is precise, the company likely requested anything in any way related to “Information Originating from Apple.”
The court also denied Apple’s request for OpenAI’s “research and development related to metallic finishes, power management, or battery features for consumer hardware products.”
The outcome of the case remains to be seen and will likely not end anytime soon. OpenAI will first have to provide the required documentation and it could be months before Apple fires its former employees.
