X Corp Drops Apple From Antitrust Lawsuit Over AI Integration

X Corp. and SpaceXAI LLC filed a motion on September 14, 2026, to voluntarily dismiss their antitrust claims against Apple Inc. with prejudice, effectively exiting the tech giant from a high-stakes legal battle while continuing their case against OpenAI [1]. The move, which Apple does not oppose, narrows the scope of the litigation to the plaintiffs' allegations that OpenAI maintains an illegal monopoly in the generative AI chatbot market [1, 2].

Narrowing the Legal Scope

The original complaint, filed in August 2025, accused Apple and OpenAI of acting as "two monopolists" by integrating ChatGPT into Siri, a move the plaintiffs argued restricted competition [1]. The lawsuit alleged that Apple’s 65 percent share of the U.S. smartphone market, combined with OpenAI’s 80 percent share of the generative AI chatbot market, created an unfair barrier for rival services like Grok [1]. By dropping Apple, the plaintiffs are shifting their focus entirely to the three OpenAI entities named in the suit: OpenAI Foundation, OpenAI, L.L.C., and OpenAI OpCo, LLC [1, 2].

The litigation has been marked by intense discovery disputes. A federal judge previously ordered Elon Musk to surrender emails from his Tesla and SpaceX accounts, following arguments from OpenAI that those accounts were used to conduct business for xAI [2]. While the Apple-related claims are now slated for dismissal pending court approval, the broader case against OpenAI remains on the docket for a trial beginning January 11, 2027 [1].

Parallel Legal Pressures

While the X Corp. case proceeds, Apple is simultaneously engaged in separate, unrelated litigation involving OpenAI. In a distinct case, Apple has sought to inspect hardware currently under development at OpenAI, alleging potential trade secret theft [3]. Apple’s legal team argues that OpenAI’s hiring of approximately 400 former Apple employees, including key designers, necessitates an inspection to ensure proprietary technology was not misappropriated [3].

Legal analysts suggest that while Apple’s request to view OpenAI’s internal hardware development may face resistance due to intellectual property risks, the court could appoint an independent third-party expert to audit the project [3]. This approach mirrors past industry disputes, such as those between Waymo and Uber, where third-party oversight was used to balance transparency with trade secret protection [3].

What to watch

• Court Approval: Judge Mark Pittman must formally approve the voluntary dismissal of the claims against Apple before that portion of the case is officially closed [2].
• Discovery Deadlines: With the trial date set for January 11, 2027, the parties are operating under a court-ordered mediation deadline of December 4, 2026 [1].
• Hardware Inspection: Monitor developments in the separate case (5:26-cv-07078) regarding whether the court permits an independent expert to review OpenAI’s hardware development for potential Apple trade secrets [3].

The resolution of the Apple claims marks a significant pivot in the antitrust fight, leaving OpenAI to face the plaintiffs' allegations alone as the January trial date approaches. Whether the remaining claims can survive the scrutiny of the court remains the central question for the future of the litigation.