Judge lets Apple seek OpenAI interview and messaging records in trade-secrets case

A federal judge has ordered OpenAI to turn over materials Apple is seeking in a trade-secrets dispute that centers on whether former Apple employees shared confidential information when moving to the artificial intelligence company. In a ruling described by Yahoo Finance, the judge found that Apple is entitled to access OpenAI hiring records tied to interviews involving former Apple employees. The records include interview materials and other related materials connected to the recruitment process. The decision also requires disclosure of private messages and testimony from key individuals named in the case, according to the report. Those materials are expected to help Apple assess whether any trade secrets were improperly used or shared during the hiring and integration of former employees. For OpenAI, the order is another example of how trade-secrets litigation increasingly hinges on documentation and communications rather than only courtroom testimony. Hiring records can provide timestamps, notes, and context around what was discussed during recruitment and onboarding, while private messages can reveal intent and awareness of what was confidential. For Apple, the ability to obtain interview materials and internal communications is significant because it targets the “how” of alleged misuse. Apple is not only contesting outcomes, but pursuing evidence about processes, access, and whether Apple’s information was incorporated into OpenAI work in ways that crossed legal boundaries. The ruling described in the report does not, in itself, resolve whether Apple’s trade-secrets claims will succeed on the merits. Instead, it addresses what information Apple may review as the case moves forward, potentially shaping the scope of any discovery disputes and the evidence available for later motions. As with most discovery-stage rulings, some details remain unclear from the reporting. The judge’s order is described in general terms, and the public account does not specify the full set of documents, the timelines covered by the interview materials, or how the parties intend to handle confidentiality and privilege issues. What to watch next is whether OpenAI complies on the specified schedule and whether the parties return to court over any remaining disputes about what must be produced. The breadth of the hiring records and communications Apple is allowed to review could become a decisive factor in how both sides frame their later arguments about misuse, knowledge, and alleged contamination of work product.