Apple sues OpenAI after ex-engineer allegedly used bug to steal trade secrets
Apple is gunning for OpenAI, demanding steep penalties after stumbling on a “rare” bug that temporarily allowed a poached employee that joined OpenAI to maintain access to confidential information on Apple servers for weeks after his termination. In a lawsuit filed Friday, Apple sought several injunctions blocking OpenAI from using confidential information allegedly stolen by former employees. According to Apple’s complaint, OpenAI conspired with former Apple employees as part of a grand scheme
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Apple has sued OpenAI, alleging that former Apple employees conspired with OpenAI to steal confidential information about unreleased products and business strategies. According to Apple's complaint, one former engineer discovered a software bug that allowed him to access Apple's secure network folders after his employment ended, and he allegedly downloaded dozens of confidential files including hardware specifications and engineering presentations rather than reporting the vulnerability. Apple also claims that a former senior executive at Apple is now leading OpenAI's hardware business and orchestrated a broader scheme to recruit Apple employees and extract trade secrets through job interviews and other means. The case matters because it involves allegations of systematic intellectual property theft intended to help OpenAI develop competing hardware devices, though OpenAI disputes the claims and says it has no interest in other companies' trade secrets.
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