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WorkThe story, in brief

OpenAI fires back at Apple's trade secret lawsuit with chat logs showing Apple employees kept texting their former colleague

OpenAI vs. Apple: leaked iMessages show the trade secret case isn't as clear-cut as it looks.

Reporting by The Decoder 1 min brief
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The KeyNews take

Why it matters

A high-profile legal battle between two AI powerhouses over alleged trade secret theft reveals messy workplace realities—Apple employees themselves reaching out to their departed colleague for help. For practitioners and legal watchers, this signals how quickly IP disputes can unravel when communication norms are murky.

The key facts

10 to know

  1. OpenAI released iMessage threads from former Apple engineer Chang Liu

  2. Messages show Apple employees contacting Liu after his departure

  3. Employees requested technical help and internal files from Liu

  4. Case centers on alleged trade secret misappropriation

  5. Defense strategy: establish Apple's own security/IP controls were lax

  6. OpenAI released iMessage transcripts from former Apple engineer Chang Liu

  7. Messages reportedly show Apple employees contacted Liu for technical help after his departure

  8. Apple filed trade secret lawsuit against OpenAI

  9. Case involves alleged unauthorized access to internal files by departing engineer

  10. Dispute centers on employee/IP management practices in competitive AI talent market

Go to the source

The Decoderthe-decoder.com

Publisher excerpt: OpenAI is pushing back against Apple's trade secret lawsuit and has released iMessage threads from former Apple engineer Chang Liu. The messages appear to show Apple employees themselves reaching out to their former colleague for technical help and internal files after he left the company. The…
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