On October 13, Judge Edward Davila granted some expedited-discovery requests in Apple’s case against former employees, OpenAI and io Products, according to the order reproduced by 9to5Mac. The requests cover already collected forensic images, certain recruitment-interview documents and depositions. Other requests were rejected, left for ordinary discovery or required a narrower definition.
On October 14, 9to5Mac, citing Bloomberg, reported that OpenAI voluntarily agreed not to use the secrets Apple alleges were taken while proceedings continue. The article also reports a commitment to collect forensic images from fourteen employees’ devices. These interim measures are neither an admission of theft nor a final merits judgment.
The case includes an allegation in the opposite direction: OpenAI claims a former employee who moved to Apple transferred more than a hundred confidential files connected to an unreleased device. In its public response presented on October 15, Apple says its investigation found no OpenAI confidential information and requests more specific details. The allegations remain contested; repeating them does not establish the specifications of a future device.
The dispute highlights how AI hardware competition also concerns the provenance of knowledge, staff mobility and evidence preservation. It is not a new Apple–OpenAI integration or a product launch. Procedural developments matter for industrial risk without anticipating a judgment the court has not yet issued.