Apple has submitted what it describes as "shocking evidence" in its lawsuit against OpenAI, supporting claims that former employees stole trade secrets belonging to the company on OpenAI's behalf.
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These new details emerged after the legal team for former Apple employee Zhang Liu, who now works at OpenAI, handed over his old Apple work computer for examination earlier in August.
Apple now alleges that Liu used a confidential schematic belonging to one of the company's electronic circuits while working at OpenAI, and also used a tool bearing the same username as one of Apple's internal engineering applications.
The company claims OpenAI was "fully aware" of Liu's ability to access Apple data, and further alleges that Liu enlisted OpenAI colleague Yu Tingbing to help destroy evidence last June, after learning that Apple was investigating the matter.
The court filing states that the laptop represents the extremely limited amount of information the defendants have provided so far — and only after weeks of delay — showing that Apple isn't conducting random searches for evidence, but that its trade secrets are actively being used while evidence is being destroyed.
Although this new evidence has been withheld from the public in the available documents, earlier court filings submitted by Apple included text messages from Liu using laughing and crying emojis, which the company says showed he was aware he still had ongoing access to Apple files.
OpenAI had previously defended Liu, explaining that he did not access Apple's files after leaving the company except to help former colleagues who asked him for support, according to TechCrunch.
In a blog post published earlier in August, OpenAI said: "Apple is now trying to blame what it calls lingering system access, but it also fails to disclose that this is a common problem for the company, resulting from its failure to properly manage system access permissions when employees leave."
Apple, however, says Liu's continued access to its data resulted from "his exploitation of a rare, previously unknown vulnerability in the authentication system."
TechCrunch has requested comment from OpenAI on Apple's latest allegations.
Apple is seeking a preliminary injunction barring OpenAI from working on devices that rely on Apple technologies for the duration of the case.
The company is also requesting expedited discovery — a legal process that allows for faster collection of required documents and information — after alleging that other former employees may also be involved.
According to Apple's original complaint, more than 400 former Apple employees currently work at OpenAI.
