Apple’s OpenAI lawsuit just tripped over an embarrassing wrong-recipient email

In a legal dispute between Apple and OpenAI, new emails and messages have emerged that cast doubt on Apple's claims. OpenAI has revealed correspondence that suggests Apple's case is based on false or incomplete information. The issue centers around former Apple employees, Chang Liu and Tang Yew Tan, who are accused of misappropriating confidential hardware information. Apple seeks a court injunction to prevent OpenAI and these employees from accessing or disclosing the alleged confidential information.

Apple claims it contacted OpenAI in February about the former employees retaining confidential data, but received no response. However, OpenAI's emails show that Apple's outside lawyer, Gabriel Gross, did contact OpenAI General Counsel Che Chang. Gross later sent an email to Chang, thanking him for a phone call and expressing willingness to cooperate. Yet, Chang denied that the conversation ever took place. Gross acknowledged the mistake, explaining that the email was intended for another former Apple employee, Wang.

This incident highlights a contradiction in Apple's case, as employees allegedly continued to seek Liu's assistance after his departure. OpenAI argues that Apple failed to disconnect former employees from its systems properly, undermining Apple's claim of urgent threats caused by continued access. The lawsuit, filed on July 10, accuses Apple's former employees and OpenAI of misappropriating hardware information to speed up OpenAI's consumer-device plans.