Apple Sues OpenAI For Alleged Trade Secret Theft - DTNS 5308

**Jason Howell** (0:08)
This is the Daily Tech News for Monday, July 13th, 2026 We tell you what you need to know, give you all the important context, and help each other understand.

**Rob Dunewood** (0:18)
Today, Apple wants a pound of flesh from OpenAI for alleged trade secret theft. If his allegations are true, it just might get it.

**Jason Howell** (0:26)
It just might get it. Yeah, this is an interesting story. I'm Jason Howell.

**Rob Dunewood** (0:29)
And I'm Rob Dunewood.

**Jason Howell** (0:30)
Let's start with what you need to know with that big story.
That really big story that was like the big story all weekend. This is the fun that we have when we come on a Monday to do the show. We've got a whole weekend's worth of news, and this one was definitely leading a lot of the online conversation. Apple sued OpenAI on Friday for trade secret theft, alleging that OpenAI's Chief Hardware Officer, Tang Tan ran a campaign to capture confidential information from Apple employees around hiring. This is really interesting. Tan is, by the way, a former Apple VP of Design, spent 24 years at the company.
The suit here claims that Tan asked OpenAI job candidates who still worked at Apple to bring unreleased hardware components to interview sessions, to kind of like show them off or like a little bit of a show and tell sort of thing, which is interesting to ask for. It also alleges Tan created a checklist that detailed how employees could actually essentially evade Apple's security procedures, encourage new hires to email confidential files from their Apple devices to personal accounts before signing. Really, I mean, when you put when you lay it out like this, and of course, this is coming from Apple's filing, it's kind of like, what were you thinking? But I mean, I also realize there's two sides to every story. But anyways, the lawsuit names former iPhone engineer Chang Liu, who discovered after leaving the company that his Apple issued laptop still had access to the company's internal servers. Apple says Liu then downloaded a bunch of files, presentations, design details, that sort of stuff. While already employed at OpenAI. Now Apple did say that it tried to resolve the dispute privately back in February. Chose to publicly file now because OpenAI never really responded to the original dispute. So maybe they were just trying to ignore and it would go away. Not the case. Apple is seeking monetary damages as well as an order requiring OpenAI to destroy proprietary materials and redesign its upcoming products as need be that might incorporate Apple technology. OpenAI, of course, is saying, quote, they have no interest in other companies trade secrets. So OpenAI, maybe that's part of the reason why OpenAI didn't respond because they were like, well, we didn't do that. I mean, this is quite a list of things to allege. So what are your thoughts on this? I mean, as this has been brewing over the weekend, this seems like a pretty big deal.

**Rob Dunewood** (3:20)
Well, these are just allegations.

**Jason Howell** (3:22)
Yes.

**Rob Dunewood** (3:23)
But Jason, if these allegations are true, if Apple can prove this in court, it's going to cost OpenAI.
I don't even want to say what the dollar amount is because it'll probably amount to some kind of deal to where Apple just now has part of the company. This is that massive. They can't release these products under this. This could literally, like I said, once again, it's alleged.
I don't want to say that Apple is making all of this up, but it's very possible that there's a lot of this that is not true. But if the allegations are true. Apple is a particularly litigious company, so they tend to have their receipts. Apple is the company that went after people making podcast way back in the day when you and I started podcasting because they didn't like the name podcast. They literally were suing people, ceasing to not to use the name. They really decided better that, oh, you know what? Actually, that's a good thing for us. So this is that company.
If this stuff is true, man, it literally changes the hardware landscape for OpenAI because they've got a bunch of stuff that Johnny Ive and the team has been working on that I don't know how they could release it if this stuff turns out to be true. Unless they say, well, Apple, how much do you want? Apple just says, I mean, literally it's like we'll open up the cash register, Apple, you just reach your hand in here and take out how much you think you should have. That's literally how bad this is, is if the allegations are true.