{"id":2640354,"date":"2026-08-04T14:06:02","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T18:06:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/apple-admits-to-email-snafu-with-openai-over-trade-secrets-lawsuit\/"},"modified":"2026-08-04T14:12:40","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T18:12:40","slug":"apple-admits-to-email-snafu-with-openai-over-trade-secrets-lawsuit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/apple-admits-to-email-snafu-with-openai-over-trade-secrets-lawsuit\/","title":{"rendered":"Apple admits to email snafu with OpenAI over trade secrets lawsuit"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fapple-admits-to-email-snafu-with-openai-over-trade-secrets-lawsuit%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2640354&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Apple has admitted to accidentally emailing teh wrong person at OpenAI months before filing a lawsuit accusing the AI company of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/scientist-pleads-guilty-to-stealing-monoclonal-antibody-research-for-chinese-pharma-company\/\" title=\"Scientist Pleads Guilty To Stealing Monoclonal Antibody Research For Chinese Pharma Company\">stealing trade secrets<\/a>. Apple claimed it contacted OpenAI in February about allegations that former Apple employees now at openai were sharing proprietary information, but mistakenly sent emails to the wrong individual due to confusion over names. OpenAI responded by releasing email transcripts showing that the dialog mishap was an honest mistake, and emphasized they never received any claims of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/doc-foreign-student-visa-holder-tried-to-leave-us-with-sensitive-military-intel\/\" title=\"Doc: Foreign Student Visa Holder Tried To Leave US With Sensitive Military Intel\">trade secret theft<\/a> from Apple prior to the lawsuit. OpenAI also clarified that they do not possess or seek Apple\u2019s trade secrets and are focused on developing innovative technology. Apple has requested a court hearing for a preliminary injunction, seeking to move forward with legal proceedings regarding the accusations. the case involves claims that Apple employees left to work at OpenAI and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pompeo-pushes-investigation-into-kerry-for-leaking-secrets-to-iran\/\" title=\"Pompeo Pushes Investigation Into Kerry for Leaking Secrets to Iran\">shared confidential information<\/a>, amid reports that openai might be developing an AI-enabled smartphone, which could compete with Apple&#8217;s products.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/apple\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"717\">Apple<\/a> has admitted to accidentally emailing the wrong person at <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/openai\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"11146\">OpenAI<\/a> months before filing a lawsuit that accuses the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/artificial-intelligence\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"1658\">artificial intelligence<\/a> firm of stealing its trade secrets.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Apple sued OpenAI in July, claiming that the AI company had been hiring former Apple employees and encouraging them to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/doj-4-chinese-nationals-charged-in-connection-with-global-hacking-campaign\/\" title=\"DOJ: 4 Chinese nationals charged in connection with global hacking campaign\">steal trade secrets<\/a> from their employer before joining OpenAI. In a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/openai.com\/index\/apple-is-getting-this-wrong\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/openai.com\/index\/apple-is-getting-this-wrong\/\">blog post<\/a> late Monday, OpenAI blasted the iPhone maker over the apparent mistake.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/technology\/4674043\/apple-wrong-email-openai-trade-secret-careless-lawsuit-employee-accusations\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Apple admits to accidentally emailing wrong person at OpenAI over trade secrets lawsuit<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/business\/4673871\/paramount-david-ellison-antitrust-cnn\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Paramount CEO David Ellison says antitrust lawsuit is about CNN ownership, not market share<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/business\/4673015\/updated-list-trump-ownership-stakes-private-enterprises-equity-chip-production\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>The updated list of Trump ownership stakes in private companies<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cApple had claimed that they contacted OpenAI in February and that we didn\u2019t respond,\u201d the AI company said. \u201cThey now admit that their outside lawyers emailed the wrong person after confusing two Asian last names\u2014only after we brought this to their attention. Apple also claimed they had a discussion with our General Counsel, which they now concede never happened.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Earlier Monday, Apple explained the email miscommunication in its motion for a preliminary injunction. In February, Apple\u2019s outside counsel contacted OpenAI\u2019s general counsel about allegations that Apple-turned-OpenAI employees were giving their new employer access to the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/technology\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"11416\">technology<\/a> company\u2019s trade secrets and proprietary information. In a follow-up email, Apple\u2019s outside counsel claimed he had spoken with OpenAI\u2019s general counsel, which left the latter confused.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cApple\u2019s outside counsel mistakenly sent a second email to OpenAI\u2019s general counsel intended for another recipient and then sent a third email clarifying the mistake,\u201d the plaintiff\u2019s <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.cand.474095\/gov.uscourts.cand.474095.38.0.pdf\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.cand.474095\/gov.uscourts.cand.474095.38.0.pdf\">court filing<\/a> stated.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOpenAI failed to respond to Apple\u2019s outside counsel regarding any of these three emails,\u201d the document reads. \u201cWhile OpenAI directly emailed internal Apple contacts seeking confirmation that Apple\u2019s outside counsel represented Apple, after Apple confirmed the representation, OpenAI again never responded. Without a response, Apple continued its investigation that led to the discovery of the alarming facts described in the complaint.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In an effort to counter the tech giant\u2019s account of events, OpenAI released the email transcript showing how the misunderstanding developed between Apple\u2019s outside counsel Gabriel Gross and OpenAI\u2019s general counsel Che Chang.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his first email dated Feb. 23, Gross asks if he can discuss the alleged theft of trade secrets with Chang. Less than 15 minutes later, Gross thanked Chang for a conversation that never happened. Chang then emailed Apple\u2019s in-house legal counsel, asking them if Gross was representing Apple. Chang was concerned Gross might have been lying.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a subsequent email the next day, Gross clarified that he intended to send his second email to a former Apple employee now working at OpenAI with the last name Wang.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAfter we had emailed Mr. Wang yesterday about retaining Apple information, he promptly called me and offered to cooperate with Apple in resolving any issues,\u201d Gross wrote. \u201cI then intended to email him again, but accidentally replied to my email chain with you instead. I apologize for the confusion that likely caused.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Feb. 25, Apple\u2019s in-house legal counsel confirmed Gross was indeed Apple\u2019s outside counsel on the matter.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe specific claims in Apple\u2019s lawsuit were never raised, and there was no further follow up prior to the lawsuit being filed five months later,\u201d OpenAI said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cApple is one of the greatest companies of all time, and built a reputation for obsessing over the smallest details,\u201d the company added. \u201cThis careless, aggressive and oddly personal lawsuit sadly doesn\u2019t live up to that reputation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In its motion for a preliminary injunction, Apple wants the California-based federal court presiding over the case to hold a hearing on Oct. 1. The plaintiff filed an <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.cand.474095\/gov.uscourts.cand.474095.49.0_5.pdf\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.cand.474095\/gov.uscourts.cand.474095.49.0_5.pdf\">additional motion<\/a> seeking expedited discovery in the case and depositions of four former Apple employees, including the two listed as defendants in the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.cand.474095\/gov.uscourts.cand.474095.1.0_1.pdf\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.cand.474095\/gov.uscourts.cand.474095.1.0_1.pdf\">federal lawsuit<\/a>. All of those employees left Apple to work for OpenAI.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4644260\/apple-sue-openai-theft-trade-secret\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4644260\/apple-sue-openai-theft-trade-secret\/\">APPLE SUES OPENAI OVER \u2018PERVASIVE\u2019 THEFT OF TRADE SECRETS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-26\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Recent reports indicate that OpenAI may be developing an AI-integrated smartphone, which could draw consumers away from iPhones in the future. The reported project would explain why OpenAI allegedly sought Apple\u2019s proprietary information, but the AI firm denies it possesses or even desires the competitor\u2019s trade secrets.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cApple\u2019s request for a preliminary injunction is both based on false information and completely unnecessary because we do not have, nor want, any of their trade secrets,\u201d OpenAI said in its blog post. \u201cWe\u2019re much more interested in building innovative products and technologies that push the frontier.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Apple admits to accidental email mix-up before trade secrets lawsuit<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2159,"featured_media":2640355,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26191741826805.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[50972,83664,4585,20164,81226],"class_list":["post-2640354","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-apple-2","tag-email-mishap","tag-lawsuit","tag-openai","tag-trade-secrets"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26191741826805.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2640354","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2159"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2640354"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2640354\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2640358,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2640354\/revisions\/2640358"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2640355"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2640354"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2640354"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2640354"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}