Judge grants Apple expedited discovery in trade-secrets suit against OpenAI

#What happened

On Tuesday, October 13, 2026, U.S. District Judge Edward Davila partly granted Apple's request for expedited discovery in its trade-secrets lawsuit against OpenAI (Apple Inc. v. Liu, N.D. Cal., No. 5:26-cv-07078). Apple must receive: forensic images the defendants have already collected; interview materials for OpenAI's Consumer Hardware Products Group, including checklists, guides, instructions, manuals, scripts, Technical Deep Dive presentations, and summaries of interviews with Apple employees or references to Apple technology or parts; and LINE conversations between Chang Liu and Yu-Ting "Alyssa" Peng since January 1, 2026. The judge also authorized depositions of Liu, Peng, and Tang Yew Tan, OpenAI's chief hardware officer, plus corporate representatives from OpenAI and io Products; all three individuals are former Apple employees. Deadlines: five days for already-collected materials and 14 days for other responsive items. The judge denied expedited discovery into OpenAI's research and development on metal finishes, power management, and battery functionality for hardware products, leaving those on the ordinary timeline. He also deferred ruling on requests involving "Apple Originated Information," calling the definition amorphous as currently defined, and gave Apple five days to submit a narrower definition.

#Why it matters

The order gives Apple a narrow, fast look at how OpenAI recruited from Apple, through interview materials, messages, and testimony, while refusing for now the wider sweep into OpenAI's hardware research. Apple sued in July 2026, alleging former employees Tan and Liu took trade secrets and intellectual property to benefit OpenAI; OpenAI argues the lawsuit is baseless. These are allegations the defendants dispute, and the court has made no finding on the merits. The ruling shapes how quickly discovery informs Apple's push for a preliminary injunction.