OpenAI says it is not aware of any evidence that Apple's complaint has merit
OpenAICompany statement provided to Bloomberg
Responding to Apple's lawsuit, OpenAI says it takes the allegations seriously but is not aware of any evidence that the complaint has merit.
Responding to
Former Apple employees who joined OpenAI, including chief hardware officer Tang Tan and engineer Chang Liu, took Apple's trade secrets and confidential information and used them to help OpenAI develop hardware.
“While we take these allegations seriously, we're not aware of any evidence that this complaint has merit.”
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Apple sues OpenAI, saying former Apple employees took its trade secrets; OpenAI says it sees no evidence the complaint has merit
Apple sued OpenAI, OpenAI's hardware company io Products and two former Apple employees in federal court in San Jose on July 10, 2026, alleging that the employees took Apple's confidential hardware information for OpenAI's benefit. The complaint says engineer Chang Liu kept an Apple laptop and used an authentication bug to download Apple files while working at OpenAI, and that Tang Tan, now OpenAI's chief hardware officer, emailed himself information about Apple's suppliers before leaving and used Apple information in job interviews. OpenAI says it is not aware of any evidence that the complaint has merit. On October 16, the court approved an agreement in which the defendants will not use Apple confidential information and will submit devices and accounts holding such information to forensic inspection. The court has not ruled on Apple's claims.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
MacRumors report on the statement OpenAI gave Bloomberg in response to Apple's lawsuit. It also repeats OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri's first response from the day the suit was filed and summarizes Apple's allegations against Tang Tan and Chang Liu.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
MacRumors reports that OpenAI provided the statement to Bloomberg in response to Apple's trade secret allegations.
After the quotation
OpenAI adds that it believes in fair competition and in allowing people the freedom to work wherever they choose, and that it is focused on building technology that empowers people everywhere.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is the conduct Apple alleges: that former Apple employees, including OpenAI's chief hardware officer, took Apple trade secrets and used them to help OpenAI build hardware. OpenAI says it is not aware of any evidence that the complaint has merit, which denies the allegations.
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More from this case
Read the full caseApple says its former employees stole its trade secrets for OpenAI's benefit
Apple Inc.
“This case is about Apple's former employees stealing Apple's trade secrets for the benefit of OpenAI. Apple brings this suit to put a stop to it.”Read statement
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- OpenAI says it is not aware of any evidence that Apple's complaint has merit
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The Dispute Index. "OpenAI says it is not aware of any evidence that Apple's complaint has merit". First published: 2026-10-23. Last updated: 2026-10-23. https://disputeindex.com/events/6577-responding-to-apple-s-lawsuit-openai-says-it