Apple Wins Court Order on ChatGPT, 400 Ex-Staff in Trade-Secret Suit

• Federal judge compels Chang Liu, other defendants, and OpenAI to supply forensic evidence on Apple-originated information.
• Order requires disclosure of devices, apps, accounts, deletions, and OpenAI testimony on Apple hardware secrets.

On October 28, 2026, 9to5Mac reported that Apple secured a federal court order compelling former engineer Chang Liu, additional defendants, and OpenAI to produce detailed forensic records regarding their use of AI tools—including ChatGPT, Claude, Codex, and OpenClaw—in its ongoing trade-secret lawsuit. The ruling covers all devices and accounts, both personal and corporate, used from January 23, 2026 to the present, as well as any “Apple Originated Information” connected to these AI platforms.

The court instructed Liu and co-defendant Tang Tan to identify every device, account, storage location, and messaging app such as LINE, Signal, Telegram, and Kik used in handling Apple information. The judge required explanations for any deletions or losses of data, specifying the circumstances and individuals responsible. Defendants must comply within 14 days for new evidence and within 5 days for materials already collected.

Additionally, OpenAI must produce testimony under Rule 30(b)(6) to clarify whether Apple-originated information about power management, batteries, and metal finishing entered OpenAI’s hardware development process. The testimony must explain how this information was used and detail any safeguards to prevent misuse. However, the judge denied Apple’s broader requests for OpenAI’s internal investigation files and device data, reserving those questions for later stages in the litigation.

Apple brought the suit against OpenAI, io Products, and former employees on July 10, 2026, accusing them of misusing confidential hardware information and internal code names to enhance OpenAI’s consumer device efforts. Apple claims over 400 former employees now work at OpenAI. OpenAI has publicly called Apple’s case “baseless and pretextual” and stated it may pursue counterclaims.

According to 9to5Mac, the court’s order signals a focused move to obtain forensic evidence and testimony central to Apple’s allegations. The judge set strict deadlines for defendants to provide new documentation and explanations, indicating that further discovery requests may follow as the litigation progresses.