A federal judge has ordered OpenAI to provide Apple with interview materials involving former Apple employees who sought jobs in its consumer hardware and robotics groups, granting part of Apple’s request for accelerated evidence gathering in its trade secrets lawsuit.
U.S. District Judge Edward Davila gave OpenAI five days to produce responsive materials it has already collected and 14 days to supply other documents covered by the request. Apple filed the lawsuit in July, alleging that confidential information moved with employees who left the company for OpenAI.
The order covers materials used to prepare for and conduct interviews, potentially including checklists, guides, instructions, manuals and scripts. It also encompasses technical presentations and records of interview discussions that referred to Apple technology or components. Those records could help establish what information candidates presented and what OpenAI’s interviewers asked them to discuss.
Apple’s complaint alleges a pattern of trade secret theft. Among its accusations are claims that departing employees used Apple laptops to download confidential files containing details about unreleased technologies, features and products. The information allegedly included technical specifications, engineering presentations and proprietary project data. Apple also alleges that former employees already at OpenAI advised other Apple workers considering a move about what information to bring to interviews.
Those accusations remain allegations. The discovery order gives Apple access to evidence; it does not establish that OpenAI or the individuals involved misappropriated trade secrets. Discovery is the process through which parties in a civil case obtain documents and testimony relevant to their claims and defenses, and expedited discovery moves selected parts of that process onto a shorter timetable.
Davila also approved expedited access to private messages exchanged through the LINE messaging app between individuals named in the case, including OpenAI employees Chang Liu and Alyssa Peng. The judge authorized depositions of Liu and Peng, as well as OpenAI chief hardware officer Tang Yew Tan. All three previously worked at Apple. Depositions allow lawyers to question witnesses under oath before trial.
The ruling did not grant Apple unrestricted access to OpenAI’s hardware development work. Davila rejected requests for accelerated production of research and development records in areas including metal finishes and power management. He also denied broader requests covering OpenAI’s hardware research and information about work that former Apple employees produced after joining OpenAI.
The dispute comes as OpenAI develops a consumer hardware device, with its first device’s launch still the subject of rumors. A dedicated AI product could offer a different way to interact with software and services, although whether it would become a meaningful alternative to smartphones remains uncertain.
The distinction between hiring records and broader engineering files limits the immediate scope of Apple’s inquiry. For now, the accelerated production centers on interviews, specified communications and witness testimony rather than a wider examination of OpenAI’s product development. Davila left Apple the option of narrowing its rejected discovery requests and submitting them again.
Sources: TechCrunch AI