US media AppleInsider reported that Apple has submitted a new document to the court claiming that “OpenAI is currently destroying evidence” in a lawsuit over trade secret theft that Apple is fighting against OpenAI. Suspicions of evidence destruction were said to have arisen due to information found on a work MacBook used by former Apple employee Chang Liu. Although the case is a lawsuit in the United States, it cannot be said to be irrelevant to Japanese users as it is a dispute related to the relationship between the two companies that support the AI functions of iPhones and Macs.
Apple claims that former employee’s MacBook contains information indicating destruction of evidence
According to AppleInsider, Apple filed a new document with the court on Monday, August 31st local time. In the lawsuit, Apple claims that information discovered on former employee Zhang Liu’s work MacBook suggests that OpenAI is actively destroying evidence relevant to the lawsuit.
If evidence is lost during the trial, it will be difficult to prove the facts later. Apple has long complained to the court that “this lawsuit requires urgent action, and each time the procedure is delayed, the damage will increase,” and this document appears to be positioned as supporting material for that claim.
It all stems from the lawsuit filed in July, which led to the poaching of more than 400 people.
The lawsuit dates back to July 2026, when Apple sued OpenAI for trade secret theft. According to AppleInsider, OpenAI has poached more than 400 employees from Apple to advance its AI projects, two of which were named in the July complaint.
At the time, iPhone Mania reported that the relationship between Apple and OpenAI had deteriorated over the development of AI hardware, and suspicions of theft of trade secrets had been raised. This document is a follow-up to this lawsuit. Since the dispute involves the transfer of hundreds of people, the conflict between the two companies may not be resolved overnight.
Apple asks court to accelerate discovery of evidence
Apple has long asked the court to move forward with discovery on a faster schedule than usual. In civil litigation in the United States, discovery, in which the parties disclose evidence to each other, forms the basis of the trial, so if evidence is lost before that stage, the entire litigation could be affected.
Apple’s repeated emphasis that “the longer the delay, the more damage it will cause” seems to be an expression of its sense of crisis that the evidence in OpenAI’s possession will be lost over time.
There is currently no direct impact on Japanese users.
This lawsuit is being fought in the United States, and there is currently no direct impact on Apple products sold in Japan or OpenAI services available in Japan. However, Apple provides collaboration with ChatGPT through the AI function “Apple Intelligence” on iPhones and other devices, and the two companies have a complicated relationship in which they are both cooperative partners and competitors in AI development. If the lawsuit becomes prolonged and muddy, it is likely that the development of AI functions that Japanese users will use in the future may be affected.
The latest Mac-related news, including future developments in the court case, is also reported on the iPhone Mania Mac category summary page. We will update you as soon as we receive further information.
Former engineer instructs colleagues to destroy evidence ~ Apple demands speedy trial
According to Apple’s complaint, former engineer Chang Liu allegedly downloaded confidential Apple circuit diagrams and used them in his work at OpenAI. Additionally, it has been pointed out that Apple continued to have access to data stored in third-party cloud storage.
Apple is particularly concerned about the destruction of evidence. Immediately after learning of Apple’s internal investigation, Liu is alleged to have instructed colleagues at OpenAI to destroy evidence and ensured this was done. In addition, it was discovered that OpenAI was using a tool with the same name as Apple’s internal engineering tool.
Based on this background, Apple is asking the court to expedite the discovery process. This is due to the risk of further loss of important evidence. It is also seeking an injunction prohibiting OpenAI from using or referring to confidential information.
Source: AppleInsider
Source: iPhone Mania
