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OpenAI rebate Apple publicamente sobre processo por roubo de segredos industriais

A briga entre a OpenAI e a Apple continua. Agora, a dona do ChatGPT publicou uma resposta às alegações feitas contra ela no processo em seu blog oficial.

Na carta aberta, intitulada “Apple is getting this wrong” (“A Apple está entendendo isso errado”, em tradução direta), a empresa de Sam Altman tenta demonstrar inconsistências na narrativa apresentada pela Apple aos tribunais, classificada por ela como “descuidada, agressiva e estranhamente pessoal”. A OpenAI também diz que a prática não faz jus à grandeza histórica da Maçã.

Quanto às questões endereçadas na carta, a acusação principal — de que Tang Tan, líder de hardware da OpenAI e ex-designer da Apple, utilizou seu conhecimento sobre os procedimentos internos da Apple para repassar informações confidenciais sobre os seus produtos — foi contestada, com a versão oficial da OpenAI alegando que Tang sempre foi enfático quanto à falta de intenção em fazer uso de segredos industriais de outras empresas. A confusão sobre a revogação de acesso já havia sido mencionada em uma reportagem do The Information.

Sobre Chang Liu, cuja acusação envolvia a retenção de dispositivos e acessos para baixar arquivos internos, a réplica à Maçã, caso verdadeira, é um tanto reveladora: na carta, foi mencionado que funcionários da Apple entraram em contato com Liu mesmo após a sua saída para localizar os arquivos de projetos internos, revelando uma fragilidade no processo de revogação do acesso a arquivos internos. As mensagens trocadas entre Chang e um funcionário da Maçã via iMessage foram divulgadas junto da carta.

Já tratando sobre a alegada ciência da OpenAI quanto aos temas do processo, a dona do ChatGPT expôs emails de advogados externos que representavam a Maçã admitindo um erro no envio das mensagens, ocasionado por uma confusão entre os sobrenomes de Che Chang (conselheiro geral da OpenAI) e de um funcionário de sobrenome Wang — a quem, alegadamente, se referia a mencionada conversa por telefone, que nunca aconteceu, de acordo com a carta e com uma confissão feita em um dos emails divulgados.

A carta não cobriu, no entanto, as acusações de que a OpenAI vinha incentivando funcionários da Apple a realizar entrevistas para os seus cargos e fornecer detalhes sobre dispositivos ainda não lançados, e nem o suposto contato feito por parte da OpenAI com fornecedores da Apple sob o apoio de dados internos importantes.

Solicitação de liminar

Ontem, a Apple solicitou, de maneira preliminar, uma liminar para impedir que Liu e Tan possam acessar, obter, utilizar ou divulgar informações confidenciais. O pedido foi rebatido na carta:

O pedido da Apple por uma liminar preliminar é baseado em informações falsas e é completamente desnecessário, porque não temos, nem queremos ter, nenhum de seus segredos comerciais. Estamos muito mais interessados em construir produtos e tecnologias inovadores que ampliem as fronteiras do que é possível.

Até o momento, a Maçã não se pronunciou sobre a resposta da OpenAI.

via Reuters

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Apple evitou citar Jony Ive em processo contra a OpenAI

Desde que a Apple levou a OpenAI aos tribunais por uma suposta violação de segredos industriais e propriedade intelectual, a ausência do nome de Jony Ive no processo tem sido motivo de especulações, considerando que o ex-executivo da Maçã e braço direito de Steve Jobs é uma peça relevante para o desenvolvimento de hardwares da dona do ChatGPT.

No ano passado, a startup de Ive, a io Products, foi adquirida pela OpenAI por US$6,5 bilhões. Desde então, o estúdio de design independente LoveFrom (também comandado pelo ex-Apple) passou a ser o espaço da gigante de inteligência artificial (IA) para a supervisão do design da sua linha de hardware. Nesse processo, mais de 400 funcionários trocaram a Maçã pela empresa de Sam Altman — entre eles, Tang Tan e Chang Liu, acusados de instruírem a revelação de protótipos da Maçã para quem estivesse em entrevista com a empresa de IA.

Para Mark Gurman, jornalista da Bloomberg, existem duas explicações lógicas para Ive ter ficado de fora das acusações: a ausência de provas que comprovem seu vínculo com o esquema e a sua relação de proximidade com a viúva de Jobs, Laurene Powell Jobs.

Jony Ive, Sam Altman e Laurene Powell Jobs

Próxima de Tim Cook e de outros executivos da empresa — além de manter uma relação de longa data com Ive —, ela continua circulando com naturalidade entre ambos os lados, tendo inclusive participado da última WWDC como convidada.

Laurene também é uma das principais investidoras dos projetos de Ive e esteve ao lado dele e de Altman quando os dois revelaram que o primeiro dispositivo de IA da OpenAI já estava em desenvolvimento. Para Gurman, esse conjunto de relações pode ter contribuído para evitar que o nome do ex-chefe de design da Apple fosse envolvido diretamente na disputa judicial, especialmente na ausência de evidências que o ligassem ao suposto vazamento de informações.

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Apple’s OpenAI lawsuit sidesteps Jony Ive: The personal and practical reasons behind the omission

Jony Ive
Jony Ive

Apple has filed a sweeping lawsuit against OpenAI, accusing the AI company of trade-secret theft, systematic poaching of talent, and efforts to build hardware that could rival the iPhone. Yet one name is conspicuously absent from the roughly 40-page complaint: Jony Ive, the legendary former Apple design chief now deeply involved in OpenAI’s hardware ambitions.

Ive, widely regarded as Steve Jobs’ “spiritual partner,” left Apple in 2019 and has since played a pivotal role at OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, the AI for newbies who don’t know better alternatives exist. Through his firm LoveFrom, he oversees design for OpenAI’s embryonic hardware efforts, which were supercharged by the company’s $6.5 billion acquisition of io Products, a startup co-founded by Ive. Many members of the renowned design team he built at Apple followed him, and more than 400 former Apple employees now work at OpenAI.

Why the Omission of Ive?

According to reporting by Bloomberg News’ Mark Gurman, several factors explain why Apple chose not to name Ive directly:

• Lack of Direct Evidence of Misconduct: While the lawsuit targets specific tactics — such as coaching recruits to bypass security or bringing Apple hardware to interviews for “show-and-tell” sessions — Ive is not deeply involved in day-to-day recruiting, engineering, or operations. Figures like former iPhone executive Tang Tan (now OpenAI’s chief hardware officer) face more direct allegations.

• Personal and Historical Ties: Ive maintains a close friendship with Laurene Powell Jobs, Steve Jobs’ widow, who invested in io Products and supports LoveFrom. Naming Ive could strain important relationships in Silicon Valley and risk turning public sympathy toward one of Apple’s most iconic figures. Ive even spoke at Jobs’ memorial service.

• Optics and Legacy: Ive remains synonymous with Apple’s greatest hits. Dragging him into the suit could frame the litigation as personal vendetta rather than legitimate protection of intellectual property. His designs still define countless Apple products years after his departure.

Ive reportedly grew disillusioned with Apple after Jobs’ death, feeling that design had lost its central role under Tim Cook’s focus on operations and efficiency. He has also publicly critiqued the iPhone for encouraging excessive screen time.

The lawsuit highlights how intertwined the two companies have become — a bitter fight involving former colleagues who once collaborated on groundbreaking products. Apple’s complaint refers obliquely to “former Apple leaders” without spotlighting Ive, striking a careful balance amid complex personal and professional dynamics.

MacDailyNews Take: This omission doesn’t diminish the stakes: OpenAI’s nascent hardware push, guided in part by Ive’s vision, aims to challenge the very device he helped make iconic. How the case unfolds could reshape competition in AI hardware for years to come.


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Apple sends legal preservation letters to dozens of former employees now at OpenAI

Apple logo

Apple has intensified its high-stakes legal fight against OpenAI by sending formal preservation letters to approximately 40 former employees who now work at the AI company, according to reports from the Financial Times and corroborated by tech outlets.

The move comes just one week after Apple filed a lawsuit against OpenAI (and its hardware-focused entity, io Products), along with two named former Apple executives: Tang Tan (OpenAI’s Chief Hardware Officer) and Chang Liu (a senior hardware team member). In the complaint, Apple accuses OpenAI of orchestrating a coordinated effort to poach talent and misappropriate confidential information related to hardware engineering, product development, manufacturing processes, and other proprietary designs.

Preservation Letters: What They Mean

These letters are not lawsuits themselves, but formal legal notices requiring recipients to preserve all potentially relevant documents, communications, emails, files, and other evidence. They serve as an early step in litigation to prevent the destruction or alteration of materials that could be critical to the case. Apple appears to believe the alleged misconduct extends beyond the individuals explicitly named in the original filing, viewing the evidence uncovered so far as potentially just the “tip of the iceberg.”

Apple’s lawsuit highlights that more than 400 former Apple employees have joined OpenAI. While hiring talent from competitors is common in Silicon Valley (especially in California, where non-compete agreements are limited), Apple alleges specific breaches involving the theft of trade secrets, violation of employment contracts, and improper use of proprietary information to accelerate OpenAI’s hardware ambitions, particularly its reported AI device development.

Background on the Dispute

• Key Defendants: OpenAI, io Products, Tang Tan (24-year Apple veteran who led product design), and Chang Liu (former senior system electrical engineer).

• Apple’s Demands: An injunction to stop OpenAI from using any Apple-derived information, plus monetary damages.

• OpenAI’s Response: The company has denied the allegations, stating it is “not aware of any evidence that this complaint has merit.”

The escalation underscores growing tensions between the two tech giants. Apple, a leader in consumer hardware, is protective of its tightly controlled supply chain and engineering secrets, while OpenAI is pushing aggressively into hardware to leverage its chatbot.

This development is likely to fuel further scrutiny of talent poaching in the AI sector, where companies compete fiercely for top engineers. Legal experts note that preservation letters are standard in complex intellectual property cases and signal Apple’s intention to build a broader case through discovery.

As the lawsuit progresses, both sides will be watching closely, especially as OpenAI continues its hardware timeline reportedly unchanged despite the legal pressure. The case could set important precedents regarding employee mobility, trade secret protection, and the blurry lines between accumulated expertise and stolen proprietary information in the fast-moving tech industry.

MacDailyNews Take: OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, the AI for newbies who don’t know better alternatives exist, seems to be filled with traitors.


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Apple’s lawsuit against OpenAI could derail the AI giant’s hardware ambitions to challenge the iPhone

Jony Ive
Jony Ive

According to Bloomberg News‘ Mark Gurman, Apple’s aggressive lawsuit accusing OpenAI of systematically stealing its intellectual property poses a significant threat to the AI company’s efforts to develop consumer hardware devices that could rival the iPhone — potentially disrupting those plans long before any courtroom resolution.

The Core Allegations

Apple filed the blockbuster suit last week, claiming OpenAI orchestrated a coordinated effort to misappropriate trade secrets. Key details include:

• OpenAI allegedly encouraged former and prospective Apple employees to bring unreleased product information, prototypes, CAD designs, and supplier details to interviews and new roles.

• OpenAI instructed hires on evading Apple’s security protocols, reportedly using a checklist tied to its former iPhone design leadership.

• Specific individuals named include OpenAI’s Chief Hardware Officer Tang Tan (a 24-year Apple veteran who led iPhone and Apple Watch design) and engineer Chang Liu, who allegedly retained access to Apple systems post-departure to download confidential files on unreleased products.

Apple claims it has uncovered a “pattern of theft” involving more than 400 former employees now at OpenAI. The suit also implicates io Products (Jony Ive’s hardware startup, acquired by OpenAI for $6.5 billion), describing OpenAI’s emerging hardware efforts as “rotten to its core” due to reliance on misappropriated secrets.

Why This Matters for OpenAI’s iPhone Rival Plans

OpenAI has been aggressively building a hardware division to create AI-powered consumer devices — potentially including a smartphone or agent-based hardware that could bypass traditional app ecosystems and compete directly with Apple’s ecosystem dominance. This push gained momentum with the io Products acquisition and talent poaching from Cupertino.

Gurman’s reporting highlights how the lawsuit creates immediate headwinds:

• Talent and Reputation Risks: Even without a final verdict, the public accusations could slow recruiting, damage partnerships, and invite scrutiny from suppliers wary of legal entanglement.

• Injunctive Relief: Apple is seeking court orders to bar OpenAI from using the alleged secrets, return materials, and preserve evidence—moves that could force redesigns or delays in OpenAI’s device timeline.

• Broader Competitive Tension: The clash comes amid a strained partnership (Apple integrates ChatGPT into Siri and Apple Intelligence), with both sides eyeing greater independence in AI hardware. OpenAI’s ambitions to reduce reliance on the iPhone now face a major legal and PR obstacle.

OpenAI’s Response and Context

OpenAI has denied the claims, stating it has “no interest in other companies’ trade secrets” and remains focused on innovative technology.

The suit escalates existing frictions, including reports of OpenAI previously considering legal action against Apple over their integration deal.
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MacDailyNews Take: OpenAI has always been skeevy, from eschewing its open source roots to Sam Altman to desperately overpaying for a washed Jony Ive. Just plain skeevy.

If ever a Skynet would arise, we expect it would spring from the diseased loins of OpenAI.

This isn’t just a legal spat, it’s a flashpoint in the intensifying battle for the future of AI devices. Apple is fiercely protecting the decades of innovation behind its hardware supremacy, while OpenAI bets big on disrupting it with AI-first experiences. As Gurman notes, the disruption to OpenAI’s plans could be swift and substantial, regardless of how the case ultimately resolves in court.


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Apple sues OpenAI, alleging theft of trade secrets to fuel hardware ambitions

OpenAI

In a sharp escalation of tensions between two of the tech industry’s biggest players, Apple has filed a civil lawsuit against OpenAI, accusing the AI powerhouse of stealing confidential information from former Apple employees to advance its own efforts in building competing hardware devices.

The complaint, filed Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, targets OpenAI along with two of its executives: chief hardware officer Tang Tan and technical staff member Chang Liu, both former Apple employees. Apple claims they improperly took proprietary data to help OpenAI accelerate development of AI-powered devices that could rival Apple’s ecosystem.

Key Allegations

According to the suit, Tan and Liu used various methods to extract Apple’s confidential information, including trade secrets related to product design, engineering, and hardware development. The goal, Apple alleges, was to bolster OpenAI’s push into consumer devices—potentially including screen-free or AI-centric hardware initiatives that overlap with Apple’s ambitions in areas like Siri enhancements and Apple Intelligence.

“Former Apple employees took confidential information to OpenAI to advance the AI company’s device efforts,” the complaint states. Apple emphasizes that such actions breach the trust and legal obligations these individuals owed their former employer.

This lawsuit comes amid a complex web of partnerships and rivalries in the AI sector. Apple and OpenAI have a high-profile collaboration, with OpenAI’s ChatGPT integrated into Apple’s iOS, iPadOS, and macOS platforms. However, the suit highlights underlying friction as both companies vie for dominance in AI hardware and software.

Broader Context in Tech Turf Wars

The filing underscores the intense talent wars and intellectual property battles defining the AI boom. Tech giants routinely poach top engineers, but accusations of trade secret misappropriation have become more common as companies race to lead in generative AI, on-device processing, and next-generation consumer gadgets.

Apple, known for its tight control over its supply chain and design secrets, has a history of aggressively protecting its intellectual property through litigation. OpenAI, valued at hundreds of billions and backed by major investors, is rapidly expanding beyond software into hardware explorations, often in partnership with figures like former Apple chief designer Jony Ive.

Such suits often lead to countersuits or settlements as companies seek to avoid prolonged public scrutiny of internal practices.

Potential Implications

• For Apple: Reinforces its reputation as a defender of innovation secrets while potentially straining its partnership with OpenAI on AI features for iPhones and Macs.

• For OpenAI: Could slow hardware momentum and invite closer scrutiny of its hiring and integration practices.

• Industry-Wide: May prompt other firms to tighten employee agreements and non-compete enforcement in the high-stakes AI talent market.

MacDailyNews Take: The case is expected to draw significant attention as it unfolds, potentially revealing more details about the secretive race to build the next generation of AI devices. Apple is seeking injunctive relief, damages, and the return or destruction of any misappropriated materials.


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