Apple Sues OpenAI: Hardware Chief Named in Trade Secrets Lawsuit

Apple has filed a trade secrets lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging a "pattern of misconduct" to transfer confidential designs. The complaint, filed last month, centers on an engineer who left Apple for OpenAI but could still access Apple's internal systems. This former engineer, Tang Yew Tan, spent 24 years at Apple and is now OpenAI's chief hardware officer. The lawsuit also names other former Apple engineers, Chang Liu and Yu-Ting "Alyssa" Peng. One engineer was even asked to bring Apple design artifacts to a job interview with OpenAI. Apple claims specific trade secrets were taken, including metal-finishing techniques, power and battery design specifications, and iPhone and Apple Watch design files. It's also alleged that OpenAI used Apple's internal terminology with suppliers. What's interesting is that Jony Ive, who now works with OpenAI's Sam Altman on consumer hardware, is not named in the complaint. This decision keeps the legal focus on employee and corporate conduct. The lawsuit highlights the intense competition for talent and intellectual property in the tech industry.