Judge Allows Apple to Review Documents and Call OpenAI Employees in Trade Secrets Dispute
JAKARTA - Judge Edward Davila granted most of Apple's request to expedite the examination of documents and testimony in a trade secret lawsuit against two former employees, OpenAI, and io Products. The ruling issued on October 13, 2026, provided Apple with early access to a number of evidence related to the alleged misuse of confidential information in the development of consumer hardware.
Apple previously filed a lawsuit against two former employees, Chang Liu and Tang Tan, as well as OpenAI and io Products. The technology company accused Liu and Tan of accessing or using confidential information about Apple products and technology to help develop OpenAI's consumer hardware.
Apple also accused the defendants of obtaining information from other Apple employees through the recruitment interview process. However, the allegations are still part of the ongoing case and have not yet been a final ruling on whether or not there has been a violation.
In the lawsuit, Apple asked the judge to issue a preliminary injunction to prevent the defendants from continuing to use the confidential information in question in the development of hardware during the legal process.
Apple has also filed a request for expedited discovery. The request includes early access to internal documents, forensic evidence, and OpenAI employee testimony to help the company assess alleged misuse of information and support a preliminary injunction application.
OpenAI opposed the request on the grounds that its scope was too broad and an expedited examination was not necessary because the regular evidence examination process would begin soon.
Judge Orders the Submission of a Number of EvidenceIn his ruling, Davila granted most of Apple's requests, but rejected several others and delayed a decision on a request that was deemed too broad.
The defendants were ordered to submit a number of categories of documents and evidence, including all forensic copies they had collected related to the core of Apple's lawsuit. The evidence includes material that has been examined by OpenAI's forensic experts.
The judge also ordered the surrender of documents used to prepare or conduct interviews with Apple candidates who applied to OpenAI's consumer hardware product group.
The documents include checklists, guides, instructions, manuals, and interview scripts. In addition, the defendants must submit documents that summarize or record the contents of interviews with Apple employees, including in-depth technical presentations and other materials that refer to Apple technology or components.
Another category of evidence that must be submitted is all conversations via the LINE application between Liu and Peng since January 1, 2026. The order also includes conversations containing messages previously quoted by the defendants in court documents.
In addition to document access, Davila allowed Apple to take testimony through pretrial examinations of Liu, Tan, and Yu-Ting "Alyssa" Peng. Apple can also request testimony from representatives of the OpenAI and io Products companies.
A Number of Apple Requests DelayedWhile granting most of Apple's request for expedited discovery, Davila denied Apple's request for early access to OpenAI's research and development documents regarding metal-based final layers, power management, and battery functions for consumer hardware.
The judge decided that the documents would be examined through the regular evidence examination process, not through an expedited procedure.
Davila also postponed a decision on a number of requests related to information that Apple referred to as "Apple Originated Information". The judge considered that the definition proposed by Apple was still too broad and did not have clear limits.
Apple has five days to consult with the defendants and submit a more limited definition to the court if it wants to reapply.
The ruling also regulates a number of procedural aspects, including whether expedited testimony will be taken into account within the limits of the examination set by federal rules, as well as the deadline for submitting documents and conducting witness examinations.
Davila's ruling has not determined the final outcome of Apple's lawsuit against OpenAI and other parties. The case is still ongoing through the legal process, while Apple's request to obtain a number of evidence early on has received court approval.
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