# OpenAI accuses Apple of 'comical misunderstandings' in trade secret lawsuit

> Apple sued OpenAI over alleged trade secret theft, and OpenAI has fired back in unusually public fashion, publishing a blog post titled 'Apple is getting this wrong' that picks apart the complaint point by point. OpenAI's central claim is that Apple's own lawyers botched the basics: outside counsel apparently confused two OpenAI employees who share an Asian surname and sent a key legal communication to the wrong person, never actually reaching the general counsel they thought they were addressing. OpenAI also disputes the heart of the accusation. It says the former Apple employees now on its staff only accessed Apple files after they had left the company, and that some of that access happened at Apple's own request. Rather than litigate quietly, OpenAI invited the public to read the supporting emails and messages for themselves. The spat is a reminder that the talent war between AI labs and the hardware giants building AI into their products is spilling into court. Trade secret suits often hinge on who touched what and when, and by airing the correspondence early, OpenAI is betting that transparency plays better than a courtroom whisper campaign.

_Section: [Daily AI Updates](https://www.wortins.com/daily-ai) · Source: Fortune · Published Sunday, August 16, 2026_

## Wortins' read

Apple sued OpenAI over alleged trade secret theft, and OpenAI has fired back in unusually public fashion, publishing a blog post titled 'Apple is getting this wrong' that picks apart the complaint point by point. OpenAI's central claim is that Apple's own lawyers botched the basics: outside counsel apparently confused two OpenAI employees who share an Asian surname and sent a key legal communication to the wrong person, never actually reaching the general counsel they thought they were addressing. OpenAI also disputes the heart of the accusation. It says the former Apple employees now on its staff only accessed Apple files after they had left the company, and that some of that access happened at Apple's own request. Rather than litigate quietly, OpenAI invited the public to read the supporting emails and messages for themselves. The spat is a reminder that the talent war between AI labs and the hardware giants building AI into their products is spilling into court. Trade secret suits often hinge on who touched what and when, and by airing the correspondence early, OpenAI is betting that transparency plays better than a courtroom whisper campaign.

## Source

[Read the full story at Fortune](https://fortune.com/2026/08/04/sam-altman-openai-lawsuit-apple-is-getting-this-wrong/)

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