Judge orders OpenAI to turn over hiring records in Apple trade secrets case
TechCrunch Sarah Perez
A judge is making OpenAI hand over hiring records in Apple’s trade secrets case. Apple says those interviews may show employees brought over confidential info.
Based on reporting by TechCrunch, Sarah Perez — read the original for the full story.
Summary, retelling and take written by AI under human oversight; images are AI-generated illustrations. How we work · Report an error
Apple just won a useful early step in its trade secrets fight with OpenAI. U.S. District Judge Edward Davila said Apple can get expedited access to hiring materials tied to former Apple employees who interviewed for jobs in OpenAI’s consumer hardware and robotics groups, just as OpenAI is said to be nearing a first hardware device.
The records may include interview checklists, guides, instructions, manuals, scripts, technical presentations, and notes showing whether Apple technology or components came up during those conversations. OpenAI has five days to turn over materials it already collected, and 14 days for anything else covered by the request.
The ruling also opens the door to private LINE messages between people named in the case, including OpenAI employees Chang Liu and Alyssa Peng. Davila approved depositions for Liu, Peng, and OpenAI’s chief hardware officer, Tang Yew Tan. All three previously worked at Apple.
But Apple didn’t get everything it asked for. The judge rejected its push for expedited access to OpenAI’s research and development in areas like metal finishes and power management, and he also turned down broader requests for hardware research and for information about what former Apple employees created at OpenAI.
That said, the denial isn’t permanent. Davila left Apple room to narrow those requests and try again. For now, the fight is centered on hiring paperwork, messages, and who said what before and after people crossed from Cupertino to OpenAI.
My take — AI-written commentary, not fact-checked reporting
This is the part of the AI hardware story that everyone pretends is glamorous until a judge asks for the paperwork. If a company hires heavily from a rival, the interview trail matters just as much as the shiny demo device. Silicon Valley loves calling everything “innovation” right up until discovery shows up with a clipboard.
Read more about this at: TechCrunch