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Apple says ex-employee used its schematics at OpenAI, then helped destroy evidence

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Apple says ex-employee used its schematics at OpenAI, then helped destroy evidence

Apple has submitted what it calls "shocking evidence" in its ongoing lawsuit against OpenAI, deepening its case that former employee Chang Liu stole trade secrets for OpenAI's benefit. The new material came from Liu's old Apple work laptop, which his legal counsel handed over for investigation earlier this month, after what Apple describes as weeks of delay. Liu left Apple and now works at OpenAI.

Apple alleges that Liu used a confidential Apple circuit schematic in his OpenAI work, along with a tool that shares its name with an internal Apple engineering application. Apple further claims OpenAI was "well-aware" of Liu's access to Apple data, and that when Liu learned in June that Apple was investigating him, he enlisted an OpenAI colleague, Yu-Ting Peng, to help destroy evidence. Apple's filing states: "The MacBook represents the very limited information Defendants provided so far (and only after weeks of delay), and shows Apple is not conducting 'fishing expeditions' but that its trade secrets are being used and evidence is being destroyed." The new evidence itself is redacted from public view, though earlier filings included text messages in which Liu, punctuating with "crying laughing" emojis, showed awareness that he still had access to Apple files.

OpenAI has previously defended Liu, saying he accessed Apple files only after leaving the company, to help former colleagues who asked for his assistance. In a blog post earlier this month, OpenAI wrote: "Apple now tries to shift the blame to 'residual access,' but they also don't disclose that this is a common issue with Apple which is caused by them failing to properly manage system access when people leave." Apple disputes that framing, claiming Liu had continued access because he "exploited a rare, previously unknown authentication bug."

Apple is seeking a preliminary injunction that would block OpenAI from working on hardware based on Apple's technology while the case proceeds, along with expedited discovery, since it alleges more former employees may also be implicated. Apple's initial filing states that more than 400 former Apple employees now work at OpenAI. TechCrunch has requested comment from OpenAI on the newest allegations.

Key facts

  • Apple filed new evidence against former engineer Chang Liu, now at OpenAI, obtained from his old Apple work laptop after his lawyers handed it over this month.
  • Apple alleges Liu used a confidential Apple circuit schematic and a tool named after an internal Apple engineering application in his OpenAI work.
  • Apple claims Liu enlisted OpenAI colleague Yu-Ting Peng in June to help destroy evidence once he learned he was under investigation.
  • OpenAI says Liu accessed Apple files only after leaving to help former colleagues; Apple counters he exploited a previously unknown authentication bug.
  • Apple is seeking a preliminary injunction blocking OpenAI hardware work built on its technology, plus expedited discovery, citing more than 400 former Apple employees now at OpenAI.

Why it matters

This is not a routine poaching dispute. Apple is accusing OpenAI, through a specific former employee, of using its confidential hardware schematics and then having a second OpenAI employee help destroy evidence once an internal investigation began. Coordinated evidence destruction, if it holds up, is a far more serious allegation than the underlying trade secret claim, and it is why Apple frames this filing as escalating the case rather than just supplementing it.

Who it affects

Directly: Chang Liu and Yu-Ting Peng, both now OpenAI employees, and OpenAI itself as a defendant. Apple names Liu as the accused former employee and names Peng only as the OpenAI colleague he allegedly enlisted to destroy evidence. More broadly, Apple says more than 400 former Apple employees now work at OpenAI, and it is seeking discovery specifically because it suspects the schematic-and-evidence pattern may not be limited to Liu.

How to use it

For now this is an allegation under litigation, not a finding. Apple's request for a preliminary injunction would, if granted, block OpenAI from working on hardware based on Apple's technology while the case continues, which is the concrete near-term consequence to watch rather than the headline claims themselves.

How solid is it

The claims come from Apple's own court filing, which TechCrunch reports on directly, and the underlying laptop evidence is real (Liu's counsel handed it over for investigation). But the new "shocking evidence" is redacted from public view, so its specific content cannot be independently assessed yet. OpenAI has a documented counter-narrative on the access question, and TechCrunch says it has requested but not yet received comment from OpenAI on these newest allegations.

Risks and caveats

Several things remain unresolved: no ruling has been reported on Apple's preliminary injunction or expedited discovery requests, the name of the internal Apple application allegedly copied is not disclosed, and the mechanism of the "authentication bug" Apple describes is not explained. This is one side's filing in an active case; OpenAI disputes the framing of Liu's access, and its response to the newest allegations has not yet been reported.

“The MacBook represents the very limited information Defendants provided so far (and only after weeks of delay), and shows Apple is not conducting 'fishing expeditions' but that its trade secrets are being used and evidence is being destroyed.”

— Apple, in its court filing