# 'Apple Is Getting This Wrong': OpenAI Says Wrong Person Was Contacted Before Lawsuit > Source: > Published: 2026-08-05 09:15:24+00:00 # 'Apple Is Getting This Wrong': OpenAI Says Wrong Person Was Contacted Before Lawsuit ## The tech giants' showdown takes a new turn as OpenAI reveals what happened behind closed doors OpenAI has hit back at Apple's trade secrets lawsuit, accusing the tech giant of relying on inaccurate allegations, flawed internal procedures, and even emailing the wrong person before filing suit. In a lengthy blog post titled 'Apple Is Getting This Wrong,' the [ChatGPT](https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/florida-pastor-sues-openai-chatgpt-medical-advice-1810729) developer described the lawsuit as 'careless, aggressive, and oddly personal,' while firmly denying that it ever sought or used Apple's confidential information. The statement is OpenAI's strongest response yet since Apple sued the AI company in July alongside former employees Chang Liu and Tang Yew Tan, alleging they misused sensitive company information after leaving to join OpenAI. ## OpenAI Claims Apple Contacted the Wrong Person A central part of OpenAI's response focuses on Apple's assertion that it tried to resolve the matter privately before filing a lawsuit. According to OpenAI, Apple's outside lawyers mistakenly emailed the wrong person after confusing two individuals with similar Asian surnames. It argued that Apple's lawsuit incorrectly suggested that OpenAI had ignored the communication. To back up these claims, OpenAI released internal emails and chat logs that it says detail the events leading up to the lawsuit. The company also contended that Apple's public account falls short of the reputation it has spent decades building. 'Apple is one of the greatest companies of all time, and built a reputation for obsessing over the smallest details,' OpenAI wrote. 'This careless, aggressive and oddly personal lawsuit sadly doesn't live up to that reputation.' ## Ex-Employee's File Access Under Review Apple alleges that former engineer Chang Liu downloaded and retained confidential hardware files before leaving the company to join OpenAI in January. Apple says the files included confidential engineering documents, technical specifications, unreleased product information, and other proprietary data. OpenAI rejects these claims, arguing that Apple employees continued to contact Liu after he left the company to help locate internal files because he still had access to certain systems. OpenAI says Apple later acknowledged that Liu still had what it described as 'residual access' to certain internal systems after leaving the company. ## OpenAI Backs Former Apple Executive Apple also accuses former vice president of product design Tang Yew Tan, who spent roughly 24 years at Apple. The company alleged that Tan encouraged Apple employees interviewing at OpenAI to bring 'actual parts' to interviews and use recruitment discussions to collect confidential information. OpenAI rejects those claims, saying that Tan repeatedly told his team that the company neither wanted nor could use competitors' confidential information. It also consistently maintained that Apple's trade secrets play no role in its product development. ## Apple vs OpenAI: Silicon Valley Takes Sides OpenAI's unusual public defence immediately prompted reactions across Silicon Valley. [Elon Musk](https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/openai-co-founder-elon-musk-confrontation-1795355), who has previously sued OpenAI, shared Apple's latest court filings and wrote on X, 'Can't trust OpenAI.' Neil Cybart, founder of Apple-focused research firm Above Avalon, dismissed OpenAI's blog post as a PR stunt and 'a distraction' from Apple's core allegations. Others took OpenAI's side. Former Apple marketing manager Todd Dailey said that the company's claims about Apple's offboarding practices sounded credible, revealing that he still possesses two unreleased Apple prototypes from his time at the company. Meanwhile, business strategist Harpal Singh argued that OpenAI's blog post was about shaping public perception as much as defending itself in court. 'OpenAI is not just defending itself in court,' Singh said. 'It wants to present the narrative that journalists, search engines, and other AI response systems will mirror.' As the lawsuit escalates, the battle is unfolding as much in public as it is in court. © Copyright IBTimes 2025. All rights reserved.