OpenAI called Apple’s lawsuit “careless, aggressive and oddly personal,” asserting that Cupertino’s legal strategy fails to live up to its historical reputation for precision.
Sam Altman‘s company clarified that Apple’s outside legal team accidentally contacted OpenAI’s General Counsel while meaning to reach a former employee, confusing two Asian surnames. “Apple had claimed that they contacted OpenAI in February and that we didn’t respond. They now admit that their outside lawyers emailed the wrong person after confusing two Asian last names—only after we brought this to their attention,” clarified OpenAI.
OpenAI also spoke out on Apple not raising the specific trade secret claims made in the lawsuit at that time.
“Apple also claimed they discussed with our General Counsel, which they now concede never happened. But they again hide the fact that they never raised the specific allegations in this lawsuit at that time, and that they in fact told us that they were “resolving any issues”. We then heard nothing for five months until they sued. In their latest filing, Apple tries hard to spin this sequence of events,” wrote OpenAI. The company also shared the email exchange as proof.
Clarifications on ‘System Access vs Data Theft’
Regarding the allegations on former engineer Chang Liu accessing Apple files after his departure, OpenAI stated that current Apple employees actively reached out to Liu requesting his assistance to locate work files.
“Apple accuses Chang Liu of accessing Apple confidential information after leaving the company, but only now admits that Apple employees reached out to him and asked for his help to locate this information (you can read the messages here). Apple now tries to shift the blame to “residual access”, but they also don’t disclose that this is a common issue with Apple which is caused by them failing to properly manage system access when people leave,” clarifies the ChatGPT maker.
The company also defended Tang Tan, who spent over 24 years at Apple. In the note, OpenAI says, “Apple also accuses Tang Tan of trying to get and use their trade secrets. However, Tang has always been clear with the team that we do not want, and must not use, any confidential information from other companies. Tang served Apple for more than 24 years and was widely known as one of the most innovative leaders at the company.”
Preliminary injunction unnecessary, says OpenAI
Regarding the injunction sought by Apple, OpenAI expresses its intention to solve the problems within itself without involving the courts. “We wish Apple had raised these issues with us before they filed their lawsuit and would have been happy to clarify all of this with them.,” writes OpenAI, adding, “We have taken the allegations in the lawsuit seriously and offered to work with Apple to resolve this. Instead, they’re trying to change their narrative, including by making vague accusations about other former employees, and will likely keep repeating this tactic.”
OpenAI also finds Apple’s request for a preliminary injunction “based on false information and completely unnecessary”, further clarifying that the AI firm doesn’t possess any of Apple’s trade secrets.