Judge says an injunction for Apple against OpenAI is 'highly likely'

The news

At a hearing in the Northern District of California on October 14, OpenAI voluntarily agreed not to use trade secrets Apple claims former employees brought to OpenAI's hardware unit, and to collect forensic images from the devices of 14 employees who may hold Apple information, 9to5Mac reported. US District Judge Edward Davila said he was highly likely to grant Apple's request for a preliminary injunction.

Why it matters

The fight now shapes how fast OpenAI can ship its first consumer device, and the forensic-imaging agreement sets a template for talent disputes between AI labs and incumbents.

The details

The judge called Apple's bid to inspect every device and repository that might hold its secrets a huge ask, and Apple's lawyer said inspections would be limited to a small group. A day earlier the court granted Apple expedited discovery, including depositions of OpenAI hardware chief Tang Tan and two other former Apple employees, and ordered OpenAI to hand over interview materials, TechCrunch reported.

OpenAI, which calls the suit baseless, filed its own motion alleging that a former OpenAI employee who returned to Apple took more than 100 confidential files about unreleased hardware.

What we could not check

• These are allegations in court filings, not findings.
• We did not review the hearing transcript.