OpenAI denied Apple Inc.’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) allegations related to theft of trade secrets in a court filing, saying that Apple could not show any confidential information was stolen by former employees.
“This dispute is a mess of Apple’s own making, and it is trying to blame everyone else,” said OpenAI in a filing in the U.S. District Court in San Jose, California, Reuters reported, citing a court filing.
Apple and OpenAI did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comment.
How Apple vs OpenAI Began
In July, the iPhone maker filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and former Apple employees Tang Tan and Chang Liu, accusing them of misappropriating trade secrets related to hardware design, manufacturing and supply-chain operations amid OpenAI’s efforts to enter the consumer devices arena.
Last month, Apple asked a U.S. judge to issue a preliminary injunction preventing the two former employees and OpenAI from accessing, using, or disclosing alleged confidential information while the lawsuit proceeds. OpenAI then went on to request the judge to dismiss the suit.
What’s New in Apple Vs OpenAI Lawsuit
The ChatGPT maker alleges that Apple is using the lawsuit to slow a potential competitor and discourage staff from leaving the tech giant. OpenAI hired about 400 staff from Apple for its hardware endeavor, the two companies had noted in court filings. OpenAI has noted that California law allows employees to freely move between rival companies.
Apple noted in its original lawsuit that OpenAI’s hiring of Apple’s staff was part of the AI firm’s strategy to learn a rival’s secrets. Apple had said Tan and Liu had accessed internal Apple files after they left the company.
OpenAI said that Apple’s policy of immediately escorting departing staff from its campus does not give them ample time to return company devices and transfer internal files back to the company.
Apple Vs OpenAI: Potential Partners to Rivals
About two years ago, the two companies entered a collaboration aimed at increasing ChatGPT’s reach and supporting Apple’s efforts in the AI race. However, the lawsuit has brought about an ugly tussle between the two giants.
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