{
  "id": 125657,
  "title": "Apple’s OpenAI lawsuit just tripped over an embarrassing wrong-recipient email",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/04/apples-openai-lawsuit-just-tripped-over-an-embarrassing-wrong",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-04T09:04:22.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Digital Trends",
    "slug": "digital-trends",
    "url": "https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/apples-openai-lawsuit-just-tripped-over-an-embarrassing-wrong-recipient-email/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.\n\nApple 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.\n\nThis 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.",
  "summary": "OpenAI has published emails and messages challenging Apple’s trade-secret allegations, including an awkward exchange in which Apple’s outside lawyer contacted the wrong person.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 11,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "Apple seeks preliminary injunction against OpenAI in trade secrets case",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/04/apple-seeks-preliminary-injunction-against-openai-in-trade-secrets",
        "published": "2026-08-04T05:58:20.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "9to5Mac",
        "title": "OpenAI rebuts Apple trade secrets allegations in new response and evidence",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/04/openai-rebuts-apple-trade-secrets-allegations-in-new-response-and",
        "published": "2026-08-04T06:05:15.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Techmeme",
        "title": "OpenAI disputes Apple's account of pre-lawsuit contacts, rejects claims that ex-staff used confidential information, shares iMessages and emails, and more (OpenAI)",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/04/openai-disputes-apples-account-of-pre-lawsuit-contacts-rejects-claims",
        "published": "2026-08-04T06:45:01.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Economic Times Tech",
        "title": "Apple seeks preliminary injunction against OpenAI in trade secrets case",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/04/apple-seeks-preliminary-injunction-against-openai-in-trade-secrets-121937",
        "published": "2026-08-04T08:04:27.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Business Insider",
        "title": "OpenAI hits back at Apple's lawsuit — and says it has receipts",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/04/openai-hits-back-at-apples-lawsuit-and-says-it-has-receipts",
        "published": "2026-08-04T09:51:17.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Financial Times",
        "title": "OpenAI hits back at Apple over ‘oddly personal’ trade secrets fight",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/04/openai-hits-back-at-apple-over-oddly-personal-trade-secrets-fight",
        "published": "2026-08-04T10:31:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Verge",
        "title": "OpenAI drags Apple’s lawsuit into the court of public opinion",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/04/openai-drags-apples-lawsuit-into-the-court-of-public-opinion",
        "published": "2026-08-04T11:27:55.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Tom's Hardware",
        "title": "‘Apple is getting this wrong,’ says OpenAI — startup blasts iPhone maker over lawsuit alleging it stole confidential information through ex-Apple employees",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/04/apple-is-getting-this-wrong-says-openai-startup-blasts-iphone-maker",
        "published": "2026-08-04T11:52:34.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Engadget",
        "title": "OpenAI says Apple 'is getting this wrong' after trade secret lawsuit",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/04/openai-says-apple-is-getting-this-wrong-after-trade-secret-lawsuit",
        "published": "2026-08-04T11:54:50.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "AppleInsider",
        "title": "New OpenAI post doesn't address Apple's IP theft claims at all",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/04/new-openai-post-doesnt-address-apples-ip-theft-claims-at-all",
        "published": "2026-08-04T12:04:04.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}