Judge Blocks OpenAI's Access to Apple-Musk Settlement Terms
A federal judge has denied OpenAI's request to access the confidential settlement terms between Apple and Elon Musk's companies, X Corp and SpaceXAI. US District Judge Mark Pittman ruled that the information is not relevant to the ongoing antitrust case against OpenAI.
The case revolves around allegations that Apple's exclusive integration of ChatGPT into its devices, combined with preferential App Store treatment, amounts to an unfair competitive squeeze. OpenAI needs this information to defend itself in court, but Judge Pittman was not persuaded.
The practical effect of this ruling is that OpenAI heads into the next phase of litigation without knowing what Apple agreed to. The case will proceed with summary judgment motions before reaching a January 2027 trial date. OpenAI must now argue that its integration into Apple's ecosystem was competitive rather than exclusionary.