Apple has filed a federal lawsuit against OpenAI, accusing it of a "pattern of theft" of confidential information regarding product development, the BBC reports. The lawsuit also names the startup io Products and two former Apple employees who moved to OpenAI.

According to the complaint filed on Friday, at least two long-term Apple employees emailed internal company documents to each other before leaving for OpenAI. Apple claims that OpenAI learned details about its plans through these employees and their access to sensitive projects, partner relationships, and unreleased products.

Alongside OpenAI, the defendants include io Products, a design startup founded by long-time Apple designer Jony Ive and acquired by OpenAI last year; Chang Liu, an engineer with eight years of experience at Apple; and Tang Yew Tan, a former vice president of design for iPhone and Apple Watch who spent 24 years at the company and is now chief hardware officer at OpenAI.

Apple alleges in the lawsuit that OpenAI attempts to extract additional information from its current employees during job interviews and has suggested candidates bring "actual parts" from Apple to interviews. The company is asking the court to immediately ban OpenAI from using confidential information, alongside an unspecified amount of damages. It adds that it attempted to raise its concerns with OpenAI as early as February but received no response.

OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri told the BBC that the company "is not interested in the trade secrets of other companies" and is reviewing the lawsuit. An Apple spokesperson replied that the lawsuit is based on "significant evidence".

The dispute marks a turning point in the relationship between the two companies. Outgoing Apple chief executive Tim Cook had previously integrated ChatGPT into Apple devices, but this year Apple shifted most of its AI features to Google's Gemini model. According to the BBC, OpenAI is expected to unveil its first hardware product this month—a keyboard for working with its AI tools—and is preparing for an initial public offering.