{"id":4726,"date":"2026-07-17T14:36:49","date_gmt":"2026-07-17T12:36:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/blog\/?p=4726"},"modified":"2026-07-27T17:09:46","modified_gmt":"2026-07-27T15:09:46","slug":"openai-class-action-lawsuit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/blog\/openai-class-action-lawsuit\/","title":{"rendered":"The New OpenAI Class Action Lawsuit: This Time It\u2019s Not About Data"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"bsf_rt_marker\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For the last few years, most of the major AI legal battles have focused on data: what was collected, whether it was copyrighted, and whether AI companies had permission to use it. OpenAI is involved in a lawsuit with The New York Times over copyrighted content used in training data for its AI models. However, OpenAI\u2019s latest legal woes aren\u2019t about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/domain-ai-registration\">generative AI tools<\/a> and scraped websites. Now it is being accused of something more tangible: stealing. Apple filed a lawsuit against the AI giant, alleging trade secret theft and claiming that it used former employees and underhanded recruitment tactics to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"key-takeaways\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">KEY TAKEAWAYS<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Apple lawsuit alleges that OpenAI stole trade secrets and other protected company information.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Apple claims OpenAI benefited from former employees who retained or accessed confidential materials after leaving the company.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The New York Times case focuses on whether OpenAI used copyrighted journalism without permission to train AI products.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>OpenAI is likely to argue that former employees can use general expertise, and that AI training is protected by fair use.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The next stage will depend on evidence, including internal communications, training data records, recruitment practices, and output logs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><h4>TABLE OF CONTENTS<\/h4><nav><ul><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#key-takeaways\">KEY TAKEAWAYS<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#the-latest-open-ai-class-action-lawsuit-what-happened\">The Latest OpenAI Class Action Lawsuit: What Happened?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#the-allegations\">The Allegations<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#who-is-involved-meet-the-cast\">Who Is Involved: Meet the Cast<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#the-new-york-times-chat-gpt-copyright-lawsuit-different-fight-same-principle\">The New York Times ChatGPT Copyright Lawsuit: Different Fight, Same Principle?<\/a><ul><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#the-ai-training-data-argument\">The AI Training Data Argument<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#the-hidden-evidence\">The Hidden Evidence<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#the-link-between-the-lawsuits-and-open-a-is-defence\">The Link Between the Lawsuits and OpenAI\u2019s Defence<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#what-happens-next\">What Happens Next<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#how-to-choose-the-perfect-domain-name\">How to Choose &amp; Register the PERFECT Domain Name<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#faqs\">FAQS<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#other-blogs-of-interest\">Other Blogs of Interest<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"the-latest-open-ai-class-action-lawsuit-what-happened\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Latest OpenAI Class Action Lawsuit: What Happened?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The realm of AI: so full of innovation, new technology, and, ironically, stolen information and copyright infringement lawsuits. The star of the most recent round of legal action is OpenAI, facing allegations of trade secret theft from Apple. Yes, that Apple, maker of iPhones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>NOTE:<\/strong> The word &#8220;realm&#8221; was used on purpose and typed by a real person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On 10 July 2026, Apple filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The complaint claims OpenAI used former Apple employees, questionable recruitment tactics, and confidential product information for its foray into the hardware market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That makes this different from the usual AI \u201cyou can\u2019t use my data\u201d squabbles like the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/blog\/reddit-vs-perplexity\/\">Reddit vs. Perplexity<\/a> case a while back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tech companies hire from each other all the time. Developers, engineers, designers, and executives move to greener pastures, taking their skills and experience with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What they can\u2019t take are internal documents, unreleased product details, design files, technical specifications, prototypes &#8211; you get the idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Apple says that\u2019s exactly what happened: OpenAI didn\u2019t just hire people who knew how to build hardware; it also tried to use them to get its hand into Apple\u2019s cookie jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/blog\/openais-gpt-5-5-cyber\/\">The makers of ChatGPT<\/a> are also currently in a two-year legal battle with The New York Times over the company allegedly using copyrighted journalistic content in its AI model training data and reproducing it in outputs. We\u2019ll get to that later and how the two cases are related.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Usually, where there\u2019s allegations, there\u2019s fire. But that\u2019s a whole other conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image wp-block-image size-full\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/openai-class-action-lawsuit-02.webp\" alt=\"OpenAI Class Action Lawsuit - Apple alleges former employees have been supplying confidential information\" title=\"Apple alleges former employees have been supplying confidential information \"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h3 id=\"the-allegations\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Allegations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Apple\u2019s complaint contains serious allegations of blatant trade secret theft, granted with some pretty ballsy methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fair warning: the word \u2018allegedly\u2019 is going to be used a lot from here on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We\u2019ll start with the \u2018show and tell sessions.\u2019 That might sound innocent enough, but if you believe Apple\u2019s version of events, there was nothing innocent about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Apple claims that OpenAI asked job candidates to bring \u2018actual parts\u2019, CAD files, prototypes, and design artifacts from Apple to interviews. To which one candidate apparently said: \u201cDidn\u2019t even know we could take those from the office.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And these are the people working at the forefront of technology\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Apple also alleges that OpenAI coached departing employees on how to get around internal security procedures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They claim this included how to avoid the \u201cdreaded walkout\u201d- being immediately escorted off the premises and cut off from internal networks &#8211; by hiding who they were going to work for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This apparently let them work their 2 weeks\u2019 notice with full access, presumably to gather more intel. OpenAI was also accused of telling them not to sign anything during exit interviews and to let them know \u201cASAP.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Again, these are allegations; nothing has been proven as fact. If it does turn out to be true, OpenAI\u2019s recruitment team has some serious explaining to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here\u2019s the thing: if a company simply hires someone from a competitor, fair enough. If it allegedly gives that person advice on how to avoid security before leaving the building, that\u2019s something entirely different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Based on the above, it seems former Apple staff weren\u2019t just being asked about their skills, experience, or where they see themselves in the next 47 years during interviews. They were allegedly handing over details on products and systems that hadn\u2019t been made public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Of course, OpenAI has denied everything, posting a statement on X saying:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201cWe have no interest in other companies\u2019 trade secrets. We remain focused on building innovative technology that empowers people everywhere.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As far as denials go\u2026 meh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"who-is-involved-meet-the-cast\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who Is Involved: Meet the Cast<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Apart from the companies themselves, a few key players are named in Apple\u2019s lawsuit. And there\u2019s definitely a pattern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Starting us off is Tang Tan, OpenAI\u2019s Chief Hardware Officer. Before joining OpenAI, he spent 24 years at Apple, most recently as VP of product design for the iPhone and Apple Watch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Is it a coincidence that someone so close to the design, engineering, and manufacturing processes Apple protects so fiercely is named in the case, or just sour grapes?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Apple alleges that Tan used confidential Apple project code names during OpenAI recruitment, and asked candidates about unannounced products. He was apparently also one of the people accused of asking candidates to bring components to interviews and of coaching them on how to avoid security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chang Liu is another former employee named in the complaint. Liu worked at Apple for 8 years as a senior systems electrical engineer before joining OpenAI in 2026. Apple alleges he failed to return a company-issued laptop and used it to download confidential technical documents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Apple says Liu texted Yu-Ting \u201cAlyssa\u201d Peng, yet another former Apple employee who left to join OpenAI, saying, \u201c<em>LOL, I found out I can access the [network storage], so funny<\/em>,\u201d who replied, \u201c<em>I\u2019m ready<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Apple also claims that Liu accessed their systems by exploiting an authentication bug using Peng\u2019s work <a>computer<\/a> after he resigned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not exactly the work of criminal masterminds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The lawsuit also names io, the device startup company founded by, you guessed it, former Apple employees, among them ex-Chief Design Officer Jony Ive, which was acquired by OpenAI in a $6.5 billion deal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even without Ive being named in the filing, this feels premeditated. Ive is universally recognised as the co-creator (alongside Steve Jobs) of Apple&#8217;s visual identity. The iMac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch are heavily influenced by his design philosophy from the era he helped define.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That probably set off alarm bells at Apple. Loud ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, if OpenAI\u2019s testing the hardware waters with former Apple designers, engineers, and allegedly stolen information, their claim of \u201cbuilding innovative technology<em>\u201d <\/em>feels more like copying someone else\u2019s homework.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"the-new-york-times-chat-gpt-copyright-lawsuit-different-fight-same-principle\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">The New York Times ChatGPT Copyright Lawsuit: Different Fight, Same Principle?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While Apple is going after OpenAI from the hardware side, The New York Times is going after them on the data front.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Times sued OpenAI (and Microsoft) in December 2023, alleging that millions of Times articles were used as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/blog\/ai-models-and-training-data\/\">training data for AI models<\/a>, including ChatGPT, without permission. They claim that its copyrighted content was used to build and train commercial AI tools without payment and that those tools can reproduce, summarise, or substitute for human reporting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not only is The Times saying its work was copied. It\u2019s also saying that their own work was used to create parasitic products that can directly compete with it, while reducing site traffic, letting people bypass paywalls, and leading to fewer subscriptions and less revenue.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image wp-block-image size-full\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/openai-class-action-lawsuit-03.webp\" alt=\"The New York Times is suing OpenAI over copyright infringement\" title=\"The New York Times is suing OpenAI over copyright infringement\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h4 id=\"the-ai-training-data-argument\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">The AI Training Data Argument<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Large Language Models (LLMs) are trained on massive datasets so they can \u201clearn\u201d by example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These datasets include content for websites, online databases, forums, social media posts, and news articles, and AI companies scrape the internet for billions of examples. Some of that content can be copyrighted or under licence, but <a href=\"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/blog\/ai-crawlers-slowing-down-websites\/\">AI crawlers<\/a> don\u2019t know that and have a history of ignoring no-crawl directives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Web scraping isn\u2019t the issue here; search engines have done it for decades to index sites. The issue is what gets scraped, how it is used, and whether permission was given.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">AI companies generally argue that the content in training model datasets qualifies as fair use. Fair use is legalese for the limited use of copyrighted material without permission. The line depends on the purpose, transformation (how it is changed from the original to add a new perspective, meaning, etc.), market effect, and the amount.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Publishers see it very differently, saying that AI companies copy unique content to train models that can answer questions without sending readers back to the original source, for example, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/blog\/ai-overviews\/\">AI overviews in search engines<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">News articles and blogs aren\u2019t just words on a page. They represent hours of writing, research, fact-checking, editing, reviewing, and design. A lot of effort and expertise by a human goes into what you\u2019re reading on your screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If an AI model can summarise or reproduce that work without sending traffic back to the publisher, they can kiss their distribution and monetisation goodbye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"the-hidden-evidence\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Hidden Evidence<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Recently, there\u2019s been a twist in the NYT OpenAI lawsuit. In July 2026, The New York Times and The Daily News claimed OpenAI misled them and the court and accused them of hiding evidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The publishers wanted to determine whether their content appeared in OpenAI\u2019s training data and if ChatGPT reproduced it in outputs. The AI giant\u2019s lawyers said they didn\u2019t have the technical capability to search ChatGPT logs and training databases for copyrighted work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In April 2026, an OpenAI data-privacy engineer squealed under deposition, saying they had already built and run those exact internal searches. Allegedly, this was done using a database of 78 million de-identified ChatGPT conversations to evaluate and track potential copyright infringement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This directly contradicts what OpenAI has been saying for the last two years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By that logic, if OpenAI had the means to search its training data and find directly copied outputs, why didn\u2019t they say so? Possibly because they would be shooting themselves in the foot?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once again, OpenAI denied the allegations, calling them &#8220;blatantly false&#8221;. It says The Times is trying to access private chat logs and argues that it is defending both user privacy and fair use principles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The case is now, not just about copyrighted journalism, it is also about if OpenAI can actually prove what was used, what was generated, and what it already knew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"the-link-between-the-lawsuits-and-open-a-is-defence\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Link Between the Lawsuits and OpenAI\u2019s Defence<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Apple and The New York Times OpenAI class action lawsuit are not making the same claims. But both point to the same thing: OpenAI\u2019s products depend on highly valuable information, and people want to know if it was obtained legally and through the proper channels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Apple is asking if confidential product information is being used to build new OpenAI hardware, and The Times is asking if copyrighted content helped train models. But the underlying theme is the same, and the courts are going to be asking:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Where did the data and information come from?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What was copied, remembered, or reproduced?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Who should have been paid, credited, or protected?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">OpenAI\u2019s defence against Apple will likely focus on the argument that an ex-employee\u2019s skills and experience aren\u2019t the same as stealing trade secrets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">People leaving a company don\u2019t just \u2018forget\u2019 everything they learned there when they walk out the door. They can use the knowledge, skills, and experience gained wherever and whenever they choose. The law doesn\u2019t stop people from changing jobs and developing new products in their area of expertise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The line is crossed when protected information is taken and used without permission. OpenAI will probably say that it stayed on the right side of that line. How they prove it remains to be seen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Against The New York Times, odds are they\u2019re going to continue flat-out denying they hid evidence, while arguing fair use, privacy, and that they don\u2019t have the technical ability to conduct large-scale internal data analysis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, if only there was an artificially intelligent way to do that\u2026 &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both lawsuits indicate OpenAI\u2019s biggest problem right now isn\u2019t model performance or developing new tech; it\u2019s proving where everything used to build them came from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"what-happens-next\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Happens Next<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Neither case is simple, and both could shape the next phase of AI regulation and litigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The NYT OpenAI lawsuit asks whether content was used without permission to train ChatGPT models. Apple\u2019s lawsuit asks whether OpenAI\u2019s hardware ambitions were built (pun very much intended), at least in part, on confidential information stolen from one of the most secretive companies in technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Apple case could force OpenAI to reveal more about its hardware plans, recruitment practices, and product development process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Times case could force OpenAI to disclose more about AI model training data, copyrighted material, chat logs, and testing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If Apple wins, AI companies could face stricter controls when hiring from competitors, especially in hardware and product design roles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If The New York Times wins, AI companies could be required by law to license content, document data sources, do more to prevent plagiarised outputs, and compensate publishers and creators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If OpenAI wins, it could strengthen the company\u2019s position that training data scraping, and new product development can be defended under the guise of fair use and clever hiring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Either way, some harsh truths will be faced. On a more light-hearted note, the <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/elonmusk\/status\/2075892136604573903\" alt=\"Link to x.com - Elon Musk\" title=\"x.com - Elon Musk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Elon Musk and Sam Altman<\/a> Twitter (X) war around the Apple lawsuit is absolute comedy gold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">OpenAI built its reputation on making AI models accessible to the public. But the current lawsuits have put the company and its team in the unenviable position of potentially having to explain exactly what goes on behind the scenes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The OpenAI lawsuits show how important ownership and control have become online. Whether it is protected content, confidential information, or a business name, knowing what belongs to you, matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Domains.co.za helps you take control of one of your most important online assets: your domain. With Domain Registration, Web Hosting, professional Email Hosting, and easy website management in one place, you have everything you need to build and protect your online branding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/domain-reseller\" alt=\"Link to Domains.co.za - Reseller - Domains\" title=\"Domains.co.za - Reseller - Domains\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/openai-class-action-lawsuit-04.webp\" alt=\"Strip Banner - Get More Hosting, Domains and Industry Insights from Domains.co.za [Read More]\" title=\"Strip Banner - Get More Hosting, Domains and Industry Insights from Domains.co.za [Read More]\"><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"how-to-choose-the-perfect-domain-name\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Choose &amp; Register the PERFECT Domain Name<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>VIDEO:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=RHCJNdsqf9E\" alt=\"Link to Domains.co.za - How to Choose &amp; Register the PERFECT Domain Name\" title=\"Domains.co.za - How to Choose &amp; Register the PERFECT Domain Name\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">How to Choose &amp; Register the PERFECT Domain Name<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RHCJNdsqf9E\" alt=\"Domains.co.za YouTube - How to Choose &#038; Register the PERFECT Domain Name\" title=\"Domains.co.za YouTube - How to Choose &#038; Register the PERFECT Domain Name\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"faqs\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">FAQS<\/h4>\n\n\n<div id=\"rank-math-faq\" class=\"rank-math-block\">\n<div class=\"rank-math-list \">\n<div id=\"faq-question-1784288931074\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h6 class=\"rank-math-question \">Why is Apple suing OpenAI?<\/h6>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Apple is suing OpenAI over alleged trade secret theft. The lawsuit claims OpenAI used former Apple employees, recruitment practices, and confidential Apple information to support its hardware development. OpenAI denies wanting or using other companies\u2019 trade secrets.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1784288971015\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h6 class=\"rank-math-question \">What are trade secrets in the Apple OpenAI lawsuit?<\/h6>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Trade secrets are confidential business details that give a company a competitive advantage. In Apple\u2019s lawsuit, this may include technical documents, product designs, engineering data, unreleased hardware details, supplier information, and manufacturing processes.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1784288978478\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h6 class=\"rank-math-question \">How is the Apple lawsuit different from The New York Times lawsuit?<\/h6>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>The Apple lawsuit is about alleged trade secret theft linked to hardware development. The New York Times lawsuit is about copyright, specifically whether OpenAI used Times journalism without permission to train AI models and generate content.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1784288988100\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h6 class=\"rank-math-question \">What is The New York Times alleging against OpenAI?<\/h6>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>The New York Times alleges that OpenAI used millions of Times articles without permission to train AI models. It also claims AI tools can reproduce or summarize Times content, potentially replacing the need for users to visit or subscribe to the publisher.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1784288997672\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h6 class=\"rank-math-question \">Why do these lawsuits matter for AI companies?<\/h6>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>These lawsuits could shape how AI companies collect training data, hire from competitors, protect user privacy, and verify the sources of their information. They may also influence future licensing deals, trade secret protections, and AI copyright rules.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h4 id=\"other-blogs-of-interest\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Other Blogs of Interest<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/blog\/how-ai-can-help-your-small-business-thrive\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">How AI can help your small business thrive<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/blog\/generative-ai-for-your-small-business\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Leveraging Generative AI for your small business: Uses and Benefits<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/blog\/ai-domain-name-generator\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Domains.co.za Introduces South Africa First AI Domain Name Generator<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/blog\/ai-crawlers-slowing-down-websites\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AI Crawlers Slowing Down Websites: What You Need To Know<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/blog\/data-poisoning\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Data Poisoning In AI Models: What It Is And Why You Should Care<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For the last few years, most of the major AI legal battles have focused on data: what was collected, whether it was copyrighted, and whether AI companies had permission to use it. OpenAI is involved in a lawsuit with The New York Times over copyrighted content used in training data for its AI models. However, OpenAI\u2019s latest legal woes aren\u2019t about generative AI tools and scraped websites. Now it is being accused of something more tangible: stealing. Apple filed a lawsuit against the AI giant, alleging trade secret theft and claiming that it used former employees and underhanded recruitment tactics to do so. KEY TAKEAWAYS The Apple lawsuit alleges that OpenAI stole trade secrets and other protected company information. A <a alt='The New OpenAI Class Action Lawsuit: This Time It\u2019s Not About Data' title='The New OpenAI Class Action Lawsuit: This Time It\u2019s Not About Data' href='https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/blog\/openai-class-action-lawsuit\/' class='moreElipsis'>[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":4730,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1003],"tags":[1884],"class_list":["post-4726","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry-news","tag-openai-class-action-lawsuit"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4726","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4726"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4726\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4736,"href":"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4726\/revisions\/4736"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4730"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4726"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4726"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.domains.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4726"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}