Judge Orders OpenAI to Hand Over Hiring Records in Apple Trade Secrets Lawsuit
Highlights
A court has ordered OpenAI to produce specified interview materials involving former Apple employees who applied for consumer hardware and robotics roles.
OpenAI has five days to provide materials already collected and 14 days to turn over additional records covered by the request.
The judge approved access to certain private messages and depositions involving three former Apple employees, including OpenAI’s chief hardware officer.
Apple’s broader requests for access to hardware research and development information were denied for now, although the judge left room for narrower requests.
Court Orders Expedited Access to OpenAI Hiring Records
A US federal judge has ordered OpenAI to provide Apple with expedited access to selected hiring materials in the trade-secrets lawsuit filed by the iPhone maker in July 2026. The decision advances a dispute over whether confidential Apple information may have been improperly handled during the recruitment of former Apple employees by OpenAI.
According to TechCrunch’s October 13 report, US District Judge Edward Davila approved Apple’s request to review documents associated with interviews involving former Apple employees who applied for positions in OpenAI’s consumer hardware and robotics groups.
The materials covered by the order could include interview checklists, guides, instructions, manuals, scripts, technical presentations, and records indicating whether discussions referenced Apple technologies or components.
The court established an expedited production schedule. OpenAI must provide relevant materials it has already collected within five days, while other materials covered by the request must be produced within 14 days.
The ruling gives Apple access to a defined set of records as it investigates its allegations, but it does not establish that OpenAI or its employees misappropriated trade secrets.
Apple’s Allegations Centre on Former Employees
Apple filed its lawsuit against OpenAI in July, alleging that confidential information was improperly handled by former employees who moved to the AI company.
According to the allegations described in the report, Apple claims that some former employees used Apple laptops to download confidential files containing information about unannounced technologies, product features, engineering presentations, technical specifications, and proprietary project data.
Apple has also alleged that former Apple employees at OpenAI coached others considering a move to the AI company on what information to bring to interviews.
These claims have not been established by the ruling on discovery. The latest decision concerns access to evidence that Apple believes could help it investigate the alleged conduct.
Hiring materials could be relevant because they may help establish what topics were discussed during interviews, whether Apple technologies were referenced, and whether the recruitment process involved potentially sensitive information. Their contents and significance will depend on what the documents actually show.
Private Messages and Depositions Also Approved
Judge Davila approved additional discovery measures alongside access to interview records. Apple can obtain private LINE messages between individuals named in the case, including OpenAI employees Chang Liu and Alyssa Peng.
The judge also approved depositions of Liu, Peng, and OpenAI chief hardware officer Tang Yew Tan. All three are former Apple employees.
Depositions allow attorneys to question individuals under oath as part of the evidence-gathering process. In this case, the approved depositions could help clarify the circumstances surrounding the employees’ departures, recruitment, and work at OpenAI, depending on the scope of questioning permitted in the proceedings.
However, the court did not grant every request Apple made for accelerated discovery. The judge declined to expedite access to OpenAI’s research and development information in specific areas, including metal finishes and power management.
The court also denied broader requests concerning OpenAI’s hardware research and information about what former Apple employees developed after joining OpenAI.
Those denials are not necessarily the final word on the disputed materials. According to the report, the judge left Apple the option to narrow its requests and submit them again.
Why the Dispute Matters for OpenAI’s Hardware Ambitions
The lawsuit arrives as OpenAI develops consumer hardware, a strategic direction that could expand the company beyond its established software and AI services.
The report links the dispute to the possibility that OpenAI could eventually introduce a device competing with the iPhone or other smartphones, depending on how its hardware plans evolve. The case itself, however, does not confirm a launch date, final product design, or direct competition with Apple.
For companies building AI hardware, recruiting experienced engineers and product specialists is an important part of assembling the capabilities needed to develop new devices. At the same time, employees moving between competing technology companies can create legal questions about confidential information, proprietary designs, and the appropriate use of knowledge acquired at a previous employer.
The court’s decision illustrates how these issues can become part of the discovery process when a company alleges that trade secrets have been compromised. Interview records and communications may help establish what information was exchanged, while technical research records could raise separate questions about relevance, scope, and confidentiality.
For OpenAI, the immediate obligation is to comply with the discovery order within the specified deadlines. For Apple, the records offer an opportunity to investigate particular allegations, although access to documents alone does not determine whether those allegations are valid.
The Next Phase Depends on Evidence
The latest ruling represents a procedural development in an ongoing legal dispute, rather than a final judgment on the merits of Apple’s claims. The court has allowed targeted access to hiring materials and communications while declining to accelerate access to several broader categories of technical information.
Apple may seek renewed consideration of some denied requests if it can make them more specific. The evidence produced under the current order could also shape how the parties approach subsequent stages of the litigation.
The outcome may carry implications beyond the two companies, particularly for technology businesses recruiting experienced employees across competitive AI and hardware markets. How the court ultimately evaluates the allegations will depend on the evidence and further proceedings, not simply on the fact that discovery has been authorized.