Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) shares are trending Monday after the company filed a blockbuster federal lawsuit against OpenAI on Friday, alleging a coordinated campaign to steal its trade secrets.
- Apple stock is trading flat. What’s the outlook for AAPL shares?
The Lawsuit
Apple filed the suit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, accusing OpenAI and its Chief Hardware Officer Tang Tan of orchestrating a systematic campaign to steal confidential Apple information. Tan, who spent 24 years at Apple — most recently as VP of product design for iPhone and Apple Watch — is accused of using Apple’s confidential project code names during OpenAI’s recruiting process, asking job candidates to bring in Apple hardware components to interviews for “show and tell” sessions, coaching departing Apple employees on how to evade Apple’s security procedures and soliciting details about unannounced products.
A second named defendant, Chang Liu, a former senior Apple systems electrical engineer who joined OpenAI in 2026, is accused of failing to return an Apple-issued laptop and using it to download confidential Apple technical documents — including information about unannounced technologies, features, and products.
“This is the tip of the iceberg. Apple lacks visibility into what’s been happening behind closed doors at OpenAI, where such misconduct is normalized and exemplified by leadership,” Apple said in the filing. “OpenAI’s nascent hardware business now rests on the shakiest of foundations, rotten to its core by its illegal reliance on misappropriated trade secrets.”
Apple is seeking a court order barring OpenAI from using or disclosing its trade secrets, requiring the return of all confidential materials, and preserving evidence related to the case. Apple said it sent a letter to OpenAI in February raising its concerns and received no response.
Apple Shares Remain Flat
AAPL Price Action: At the time of publication, Apple shares are trading 0.23% higher at $316.04, according to data from Benzinga Pro.
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