Apple sends litigation-hold letters to about 40 former employees now at OpenAI

Sources: FT report, 9to5Mac, HN discussion
Summary: The Financial Times reported on 2026-07-17 that Apple sent formal legal-preservation letters to about 40 former Apple employees now at OpenAI, instructing them to preserve documents and evidence relevant to Apple's trade-secret dispute. The letters extend the lawsuit Apple filed on 2026-07-10 in the Northern District of California against OpenAI, io Products, and former Apple staff Tang Tan (now OpenAI's hardware chief) and Chang Liu, and indicate Apple believes the alleged misappropriation may involve employees beyond those named in the complaint.
Why it matters: Litigation-hold letters to dozens of hardware and engineering staff signal Apple is widening the trade-secret case against OpenAI's device effort rather than confining it to the two named defendants.
Follow-up: Watch for OpenAI's response, any additional named defendants, and whether the escalation affects the io Products hardware roadmap.