Apple has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in U.S. District Court, accusing the company of trade secret theft through the poaching of former Apple employees. The suit names Chang Liu, a former senior system electrical engineer who worked at Apple for eight years before joining OpenAI in January 2026, and Tang Tan, Apple's former VP of product design who led iPhone and Apple Watch design before departing in February 2024 to work with Jony Ive.

The complaint also names OpenAI and io Products — the hardware startup founded by Jony Ive that OpenAI acquired for $6.5 billion last year — as defendants. Apple alleges that trade secrets related to its unreleased technologies, processes, and products were misappropriated by these former employees for OpenAI's benefit.

"This case is about Apple's former employees stealing Apple's trade secrets for the benefit of OpenAI. Apple brings this suit to put a stop to it," the lawsuit states. Apple says it first raised concerns directly with OpenAI in February, asking the company to investigate, but OpenAI never responded.

In a statement, an Apple spokesperson said the company has uncovered "significant evidence" suggesting OpenAI employees "wrongfully took Apple's secret and confidential information regarding our unreleased technologies, processes, and products." Apple added that what's detailed in the filing is merely "the tip of the iceberg," noting it "lacks visibility into what's been happening behind closed doors at OpenAI."

Notably, Jony Ive, Evans Hankey, and Scott Cannon — all former Apple designers now at io/OpenAI — are not personally named in the initial filing, though Ive's hardware division sits at the center of the dispute.

Sources: 9to5Mac, MacRumors