Apple Flags Discovery Delays in Its Lawsuit Against Jon Prosser

Apple has disclosed to a federal court that it has not received updates from Jon Prosser's legal representatives for a month, as the discovery phase of its trade secret lawsuit against the alleged leaker continues. In a joint status report filed on Wednesday in the Northern District of California, Apple's attorneys stated they had made multiple attempts to contact Prosser's counsel regarding outstanding discovery issues, but were unsuccessful.

Apple had previously engaged with Prosser, receiving documents and communications from him, as well as having him testify in a deposition on June 16, 2026. However, Apple has noted ongoing deficiencies in Prosser's submitted materials and has notified his counsel of these concerns. Prosser's attorney informed Apple that the delay was likely due to Prosser's focus on his newborn child.

Despite this, Prosser's co-defendant, Michael Ramacciotti, has maintained cooperation with the case, agreeing to provide additional responses and participate in a second deposition. Apple initiated the lawsuit against Prosser and Ramacciotti in July 2025, alleging they had misappropriated trade secrets related to unreleased iOS 26 software, such as the "Liquid Glass" redesign, by accessing a development iPhone belonging to Apple engineer Ethan Lipnik.

Ramacciotti initially missed several deadlines for responding, resulting in a default against him in October 2025. Prosser's default was later lifted in June 2026, and he submitted a formal answer on July 2, admitting to attending a FaceTime call where Ramacciotti showed him unreleased iOS features, but denying that it constituted trade secrets and claiming he was unaware the device belonged to Lipnik.

Apple seeks damages and a permanent injunction against Prosser, which could potentially prevent him from disclosing Apple's trade secrets, including content on his YouTube channel. Ramacciotti's second deposition is scheduled for September, and a further status update from all parties is anticipated on October 7.