Apple described the material recovered from Liu’s MacBook as “shocking evidence” and said the laptop supports its argument that the lawsuit is focused on specific suspected misuse of confidential information rather than a broad search for wrongdoing. “The MacBook represents the very limited information Defendants provided so far (and only after weeks of delay), and shows Apple is not conducting ‘fishing expeditions’ but that its trade secrets are being used and evidence is being destroyed,” Apple wrote in the filing.
The latest claims add to earlier evidence Apple has presented involving Liu’s access to company files after his departure. Previous court filings included text messages in which Liu appeared aware that his Apple credentials still gave him access to internal material.
OpenAI has disputed Apple’s characterization of that activity. The company previously said Liu accessed Apple files after leaving only because former colleagues requested his assistance. OpenAI has argued that lingering access for former employees reflects failures in Apple’s own account-management processes. “Apple now tries to shift the blame to ‘residual access,’ but they also don’t disclose that this is a common issue with Apple which is caused by them failing to properly manage system access when people leave,” OpenAI wrote in a blog post earlier this month.
Apple has offered a different explanation for why Liu remained able to reach its systems, alleging that he “exploited a rare, previously unknown authentication bug.”
That disagreement is now central to the case. OpenAI portrays Liu’s access as the result of permissions Apple failed to revoke, while Apple alleges he deliberately took advantage of a security flaw and later used protected technical material in his work at OpenAI.
Apple is asking the court for a preliminary injunction that would prevent OpenAI from developing hardware based on Apple technology while the lawsuit proceeds. It is also seeking expedited discovery, arguing that additional former Apple employees could be involved.
Apple said in its initial complaint that more than 400 former Apple employees now work at OpenAI. The company is using the latest filing to support its request for faster access to evidence that could show whether the allegations extend beyond Liu.
OpenAI has previously defended Liu but has not yet publicly responded to Apple’s newest claims involving the circuit schematic or the alleged destruction of evidence. TechCrunch said it requested comment from the company.
This analysis is based on reporting from TechCrunch.
Image courtesy of OpenAI / Apple / Benj Edwards.
This article was generated with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy and quality.
