Apple Accuses OpenAI of Systematic Trade Secret Theft, Not Individual Employee Misconduct

Apple sued OpenAI on July 10, alleging the company instructed prospective hires still at Apple to bring CAD files and prototypes to interviews—framing the conduct as "coordinated misconduct at an institutional level." The distinction matters: Apple is not claiming isolated employee lapses, but rather that soliciting confidential materials was standard practice within OpenAI's hardware unit, shifting potential liability from individuals to the corporation itself.