Apple Accuses OpenAI of Destroying MacBook Evidence

Apple asked a court on Monday to fast-track discovery against OpenAI, alleging a laptop it waited weeks to inspect discussed destroying forensic data.

The filing escalates a lawsuit Apple brought in July, and it is a procedural fight over evidence preservation rather than a ruling on the underlying theft allegations. Nothing described below has been decided by a court.

What Apple's filing alleges

Apple is seeking "expedited discovery" over concerns OpenAI "is actively destroying evidence," according to The Verge, which credits Bloomberg with reporting the filing first. Apple alleges OpenAI "only just handed over a MacBook used by a former employee at the center of the lawsuit, which contained discussions about 'destroying the types of forensic data Apple needs.'"

The case centres on three former Apple employees who joined OpenAI, including Chang Liu, who Apple says kept a company-owned MacBook after leaving. Apple accuses OpenAI of failing to inspect that laptop "despite having the MacBook in their possession since the start of the lawsuit" in July. After OpenAI provided it on August 21st, Apple says its inspection found Liu "not only downloaded a confidential Apple circuit schematic but also used it in his work at OpenAI."

TechCrunch reports Apple further claims Liu "enlisted OpenAI colleague Yu-Ting Peng to help destroy evidence in June when he learned that Apple was investigating him," and that Liu retained access because he "exploited a rare, previously unknown authentication bug." Apple's argument for urgency is that the material decays: "Important forensic artifacts on which forensic inspections rely — such as logs, metadata, and usage records—are transient and at risk of being lost, overwritten, or destroyed."

What OpenAI says

OpenAI rejects the framing. In its own filing it argues "this dispute is a mess of Apple's own making," pointing at Apple's employee exit process, which it also calls "a mess." On the substance, OpenAI maintains "there is no evidence that Liu accessed any Apple information through improper means or for any improper purpose," adding that "Liu has no use for Apple confidential information."

In a blog post earlier this month, OpenAI pushed the access question back at Apple: "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 has previously said Liu accessed files after leaving only to help former colleagues who asked for assistance.

What Apple wants from the court

Two things, per TechCrunch. A preliminary injunction — "a court order that would block OpenAI from working on hardware based on Apple's technology while the case is ongoing" — and expedited discovery, because Apple alleges more former employees may be implicated. Apple's initial filing states that more than 400 former Apple employees now work at OpenAI, which is the number that turns a three-person dispute into a discovery problem of a different size.

The newest evidence is redacted from public view. Earlier filings, TechCrunch notes, included text messages from Liu punctuated with "crying laughing" emojis, which Apple presents as showing he knew he still had access to Apple files.

Why the procedural fight matters

An expedited-discovery ruling would not decide whether trade secrets were stolen. It would decide how fast and how widely OpenAI must produce records — and if Apple's "transient artifacts" argument lands, the practical scope of the case grows before either side argues the merits. The injunction request is the higher-stakes ask: it would touch OpenAI's hardware work while litigation runs.

Watch for the court's response to the expedited-discovery motion, and for whether Apple names additional former employees. Both sides' filings are allegations at this stage; TechCrunch says it has requested comment from OpenAI on Apple's newest claims.