Judge orders OpenAI to hand over hiring records in Apple trade secrets case

A federal judge has ruled that Apple will get expedited access to certain OpenAI hiring materials in the trade secrets lawsuit the iPhone maker filed against the company in July. The decision, reported by TechCrunch on October 13, 2026, is a partial win for Apple in the discovery phase.

Specifically, the court will let Apple review documents tied to OpenAI's interviews with former Apple employees who applied for roles in its consumer hardware and robotics groups, against the backdrop of OpenAI's rumored first hardware device. According to the article, these documents could include checklists, guides, instructions, manuals and interview scripts, as well as technical presentations and records showing that Apple technology or components came up in the conversations.

The judge gave OpenAI five days to hand over materials it has already collected and 14 days for any other materials covered by the request, agreeing with Apple that these documents should be handled on an expedited basis.

The backdrop to the case is that OpenAI is building a consumer device that, according to the article, could end up rivaling the iPhone, or smartphones in general, if an AI device became central to consumers' lives and to how they interact with software and services.

In its lawsuit, Apple accuses OpenAI of a pattern of theft. The allegations include specific complaints that former employees used Apple laptops to download confidential material and files containing information on unannounced technologies, features and products, including technical specifications, engineering presentations and proprietary project data. Apple also claims, among other accusations, that former Apple employees already working at OpenAI advised others considering the move on what information to bring to their interviews.

U.S. District Judge Edward Davila did not grant all of Apple's requests for expedited access. He did authorize access to the interview materials and to private messages on the LINE app between people named in the case, including OpenAI employees Chang Liu and Alyssa Peng. He also approved depositions of Liu, Peng and a third individual, OpenAI's head of hardware, Tang Yew Tan. All three are former Apple employees.

The judge did, however, deny Apple's request for expedited access to OpenAI's research and development in specific areas such as metal finishes and power management. He also rejected several broader discovery requests, such as access to OpenAI's hardware research or to information on what its former employees created while working there. That denial is not final: the judge left the door open for Apple to narrow its requests and try again.

In short, the ruling does not yet decide whether trade secrets were misappropriated. It governs what evidence Apple can obtain and how quickly. The case is shaping up as a significant fight between two major players as OpenAI moves into consumer hardware.