The trade secret case between Apple and OpenAI is scheduled to go to trial in July 2027, and pre-trial evidence collection will continue for several months.

Abstract:

Judge Edward Davila of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California has scheduled Apple’s trade secret case against OpenAI and related personnel to open at 9 a.m. on July 19, 2027. The court issued a case management order on October 28, stipulating that both parties must complete procedures such as document exchange, fact-finding and evidence collection, expert evidence, and pre-trial motions before the trial.

According to the court's schedule, both parties need to basically complete the submission of documents by February 5, 2027, conclude factual investigation and evidence collection on March 12, and conclude expert evidence collection on April 28; Davila plans to hear evidence experts and other substantive motions on June 10, and hold a final pretrial conference on June 24. The lead lawyers for both parties must also meet on June 1 to discuss settlement possibilities, joint pre-trial documents and narrowing the scope of the dispute. This is a routine arrangement in federal civil cases and does not mean that the parties have decided to settle.

Apple filed a lawsuit in July 2026, naming OpenAI, two former Apple employees Tang Tan and Liu Chang, as well as related entities under OpenAI and io Products as defendants. Apple accused two former employees of bringing trade secrets involving product design and technology to OpenAI to assist in its consumer hardware research and development after leaving the company. OpenAI denied Apple's claims and said that the relevant employees may have accessed or retained Apple files without their knowledge.

The two parties have previously had disputes over injunctions and discovery. Apple claimed that OpenAI and its former employees improperly obtained or used confidential information and asked the court to restrict its use of relevant information; OpenAI promised not to use Apple trade secrets during the litigation. The court also recently approved Apple's further access to records of some equipment, communications, recruitment interviews and internal processing of confidential information related to former Apple employees hired by OpenAI. The case is still in the evidence collection stage, and the court has not yet ruled on whether Apple’s accusation of trade secret misappropriation is established.

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