A judge ordered OpenAI to disclose hiring records in the Apple trade secrets lawsuit.

A US federal judge has ordered OpenAI to hand over hiring materials tied to former Apple employees, marking an early win for Apple in the trade secrets lawsuit it filed against the ChatGPT maker in July. The ruling, issued by US District Judge Edward Davila, allows Apple to review documents connected to OpenAI's interviews with ex-Apple staff who applied to work in OpenAI's consumer hardware and robotics groups. The timing matters: OpenAI is reportedly preparing to launch its first hardware device, and Apple wants to know whether its own technology came up in those conversations.

What the court ordered

Davila gave OpenAI a compressed timeline for compliance. The company must produce materials it has already collected within five days, and deliver any remaining responsive materials within 14 days. Apple had argued for expedited treatment, and the judge agreed on this narrow category of documents.

The scope covers interview checklists, guides, instructions, manuals, and scripts, along with technical presentations and records indicating that interview discussions referenced Apple technology or components. In other words, Apple will be able to see not just what candidates were asked, but whether its own products or parts were part of the conversation.

What Apple gets — and what it doesn't

The expedited access is not a blanket win for Apple. Davila approved review of the interview materials plus private LINE messages between individuals named in the case, including OpenAI employees Chang Liu and Alyssa Peng. He also authorized depositions for Liu and Peng, as well as a third person: OpenAI's chief hardware officer, Tang Yew Tan. All three are former Apple employees.

But the judge declined several of Apple's broader requests. Apple will not get expedited access to OpenAI's research and development in specific areas such as metal finishes and power management. Davila also denied wider discovery demands, including access to OpenAI's hardware research or information about what its former employees built while at OpenAI.

Those denials are not necessarily permanent. The judge left open the possibility that Apple could narrow its requests and refile them — a procedural door that keeps parts of the dispute alive.

The allegations behind the case

Apple's July lawsuit accused OpenAI of a pattern of theft. The complaint specifically points to former employees who allegedly used Apple laptops to download confidential material and files covering unannounced technologies, features, and products — including technical specifications, engineering presentations, and proprietary project data.

Apple further alleged that former Apple employees now at OpenAI coached colleagues considering a move to OpenAI on what information to bring to their interviews. That coaching claim is central to why the interview materials matter: Apple is effectively trying to determine whether hiring conversations were used as a channel for transferring sensitive knowledge.

Why this matters beyond the courtroom

OpenAI is developing a consumer hardware device that could, if it becomes a central part of how people engage with software and services, eventually challenge the iPhone or smartphones more broadly. That ambition explains the stakes. Apple's lawsuit is not just about past conduct; it targets the talent pipeline and knowledge flow feeding a potential future competitor.

For readers, the practical takeaway is that trade secret litigation between AI and hardware giants is increasingly focused on hiring records, interview documentation, and internal messaging — not just leaked files. The five-day and 14-day deadlines mean the next batch of filings could arrive quickly, and Davila's willingness to let Apple refine its broader requests suggests this discovery fight is far from over.

What to watch next: whether Apple narrows its denied requests and tries again, and whether the depositions of Liu, Peng, and Tan produce testimony that reshapes the case ahead of OpenAI's hardware launch.