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Apple has mailed legal preservation letters to roughly 40 ex‑employees now at OpenAI, expanding its trade‑secret lawsuit and signaling a broader dispute over
Apple has sent legal preservation letters to about 40 former Apple engineers now working at OpenAI, asking them to retain any documents that could relate to Apple’s trade‑secret lawsuit filed last week [2]. The move widens the scope of the dispute beyond the two defendants already named, underscoring Apple’s concern that more of its confidential hardware designs may have been used by the AI firm.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Company | Apple |
| Legal action | Trade‑secret lawsuit against OpenAI |
| Letters sent | ~40 former employees |
| Targeted ex‑staff | Tang Tan (Chief Hardware Officer) and Chang Liu (senior engineer) |
Apple’s lawsuit, filed last week, accuses OpenAI and two former Apple executives—Tang Tan and Chang Liu—of misappropriating proprietary hardware designs, manufacturing processes, and other trade secrets [4]. The preservation letters, a standard pre‑discovery tool, instruct the recipients to keep any relevant communications and records, suggesting Apple believes the alleged theft may involve additional former staff [1]. Financial Times reporting confirms the figure of roughly 40 letters [2].
OpenAI has denied any evidence supporting Apple’s claims, but the company’s hardware ambitions—particularly a forthcoming AI‑accelerator device—could be directly impacted if Apple succeeds in proving misuse of its IP [4]. The letters also serve as a warning to other ex‑Apple talent now at OpenAI, indicating that Apple is closely monitoring the AI firm’s development pipeline. With more than 400 former Apple employees reportedly now at OpenAI, the letters target about 10 % of that cohort [3].
Apple’s escalation signals a broader battle over hardware know‑how as AI firms seek to build proprietary chips. Whether the lawsuit will force OpenAI to redesign its hardware or settle the dispute remains to be seen, but the legal pressure adds a new variable to the fast‑moving AI‑hardware market.
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AI-assisted synthesis by the TrendWatcher Editorial Desk · sourced from 5 outlets · Jul 19, 2026 · How we report
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