Issue No. 064 · Story 02 · October 14, 2026

Apple Gets Limited Early Discovery in OpenAI Trade Secret Case

A California federal judge granted part of Apple's request for expedited discovery in its trade secret case against OpenAI, io Products and two former employees. The October 13 order covers specified forensic images, materials used to interview Apple employees for OpenAI hardware roles, and LINE messages between Chang Liu and Alyssa Peng.

§The defendants must respond within 14 days, or five days for materials already collected in the litigation. The order also permits depositions of Liu, Tang Yew Tan, Peng and corporate representatives.
§The court denied expedited access to certain research and development materials and deferred requests using an overly broad definition of Apple-originated information. The order does not decide whether trade secrets were misappropriated.

THE TAKEAWAY

The ruling distinguishes targeted evidence tied to alleged employee departures from broader access to a competitor's product development, without resolving the underlying trade secret claims.

Filing: ESCA Filings

Same issue

Warner Music Sues Ray-Ban and Oakley Companies Over Social Ads

Warner Music Group labels and publishers filed a New York federal lawsuit against Luxottica companies behind Ray-Ban, Oakley and other eyewear brands. The October 9 complaint alleges that promotional videos used at least 427 copyrighted recordings and compositions without permission, including music associated with Dua Lipa, Charli xcx and Bruno Mars.