Apple has escalated its legal battle against OpenAI by sending preservation letters to approximately 40 former employees now working at the artificial intelligence startup. The move follows the lawsuit filed last week, in which Apple accuses OpenAI and two former engineers of stealing trade secrets. According to the Financial Times, Apple formally notified about 40 ex-workers to preserve documents, emails, and other evidence potentially relevant to the dispute.
Preservation letters aim to prevent destruction of digital evidence
A preservation letter is a written notice that requires a person or organization not to destroy material that could be used in court. Apple suspects that the trade secret theft may extend beyond those named in the initial complaint. The original lawsuit, filed last week, names OpenAI and io Products as defendants, along with former Apple employees Chang Liu and Tang Tan. Apple alleges that these individuals illegally transferred confidential information to OpenAI, violating nondisclosure agreements and intellectual property laws.
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The war for AI talent heats up between Apple and OpenAI
This type of letter is a common legal tool in high-tech lawsuits, where digital documentation can be easily deleted. Apple wants to ensure all relevant data is preserved, including messages, files, and code repositories. Sending letters to so many former employees suggests Apple believes the issue is more widespread than initially thought. The battle between Apple and OpenAI is the latest chapter in a war for AI talent and technology. While Apple has developed internal language models, OpenAI has attracted many engineers with high salaries and cutting-edge projects. The lawsuit could have significant implications for employee mobility in the tech industry. Preservation letters are a preliminary step that do not directly accuse but can lead to important discoveries during discovery. If Apple finds evidence that OpenAI encouraged the leak of secrets, damages claims could increase substantially. To learn more about managing legal documents, read our article on digitally signed sales mandates, which shows how digitalization reduces the risk of evidence loss. For further information about trade secrets, check the Wikipedia page on trade secret. This case demonstrates how intellectual property has become a central battleground in the tech industry, with companies willing to go to great lengths to protect their innovations. Observers now await OpenAI's next moves, which could include attempting to dismiss the lawsuit or negotiate a settlement. Meanwhile, Apple continues to gather evidence and defend its position as a leader in the mobile and AI ecosystem.
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Source: https://9to5mac.com/2026/07/17/apple-sends-legal-letters-to-former-employees-now-at-openai
