OpenAI has volunteered not to use any Apple trade secrets while its legal fight with Apple continues, according to Bloomberg. The move comes after Judge Edward Davila said he was "highly likely" to grant Apple an injunction. That ruling could have forced OpenAI to entirely halt work on its expected AI device, so the company is trying to limit the damage in advance.
Specifically, OpenAI says it will not use trade secrets from ex-Apple employees while the case proceeds. OpenAI has also volunteered to give Apple forensic images of drives belonging to 14 former Apple employees. Like the trade secret pledge, this is a preemptive step, handing over data the company was likely to be ordered to provide and potentially avoiding a broader court order.
Apple sued OpenAI in July 2026 over alleged trade secret theft. After mounting evidence emerged, OpenAI stopped denying the claims. The latest preparatory hearings have focused on Apple's requests for early discovery of OpenAI information, which Davila has mostly granted, though Apple did not receive everything it requested.
OpenAI has also filed a separate suit against Apple, alleging that a former OpenAI employee who rejoined Apple in June 2026 provided OpenAI secrets used in Apple's Home View project. Apple has denied these allegations, and the case has yet to go to trial.
Source: AppleInsider · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing