# Apple Claims Ex-Employee Stole Trade Secrets; OpenAI Says Apple Has No Proof > Source: > Published: 2026-09-01 10:54:14+00:00 Apple’s legal dispute with OpenAI has intensified, with the [iPhone](/tech/112784/iphone-17-iphone-air-prices-could-rise-by-rs-10000-after-iphone-18-launch) maker claiming it has uncovered fresh evidence related to the alleged misuse of confidential trade secrets. The case centres on former Apple employees, including Chang Liu, whom Apple accuses of taking sensitive company information and using it in work that benefited [OpenAI](/tech/113294/sam-altman-gifts-openai-employees-ultra-rare-swiss-watches-worth-rs-15-crore-each). After examining Liu’s former [Apple](/tech/113313/apple-event-iphone-18-pro-first-foldable-iphone-apple-watch-series-12-and-more-expected) work laptop, the company reportedly found what it described as significant evidence, including the alleged use of a confidential circuit schematic, a technical design showing how electronic components are structured and connected, during his time at OpenAI. ## What Has Apple Claimed in the Latest Filing? Apple has raised additional concerns about the actions of its former employee, Chang Liu, in its ongoing legal dispute involving OpenAI. The company claims that a software tool associated with Liu’s later work shared its name with an internal Apple engineering tool, which Apple believes could point to the use of company-developed resources outside the organisation. It has also accused Liu of seeking help from OpenAI employee Yu-Ting Peng to remove material that could be relevant to the investigation. Apple claims in a new court filing that — Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt)[@OpenAI]is actively destroying crucial evidence in trade secrets case. Apple's lawyers say an initial forensic analysis of an Apple-issued MacBook used by a former iPhone engineer found evidence that he and others at OpenAI were aware of…[pic.twitter.com/Fs2RiZo9Gg][August 31, 2026] ## Why Is the MacBook at the Centre of the Dispute? According to Apple, the laptop submitted for examination has produced information that supports its case. The company argues that the material reviewed so far is limited and says its requests are based on specific findings rather than an attempt to search through unrelated information. Apple maintains that its confidential technology may have been improperly used and alleges that some relevant material may no longer be available. ## What Is OpenAI’s Response to Apple’s Accusations? OpenAI has rejected Apple’s claims and challenged the suggestion that its employees obtained or used stolen trade secrets. In its response to the court, OpenAI argued that Apple has not demonstrated that confidential files were improperly taken. The AI company has instead placed some of the responsibility on Apple’s own internal systems, arguing that the dispute stems from the way the company handled access to employee and work data. ## Apple’s Workplace Policies Being Questioned As part of its defence, OpenAI has pointed to Apple's practice of allowing employees to access certain work documents through personal iCloud accounts. It argues that this arrangement can blur the distinction between an employee's private files and company information. OpenAI also questioned Apple’s exit procedures for departing workers, saying the immediate removal of employees from the workplace could leave limited time to return equipment or complete file transfers. Liu, meanwhile, has maintained that any access to Apple-related documents after his departure was intended to help former colleagues who continued reaching out to him for assistance with work he had previously handled. **ALSO SEE: Tim Cook Was Happy at Compaq Until He Met Steve Jobs: The Story Behind His Apple Move**