Live data from Hacker News

Apple targets dozens of OpenAI employees with legal letters

ft.com

11–20 of 414 posts

Re: Apple targets dozens of OpenAI employees with legal letters

#11

How can I say this…? Some companies come across like a neon sign flashing "EVIL!". It's been nothing but warning signs from this company for at least a year now. I'm so happy to have nothing to do with them (having deleted my account a year or so ago). Their marketing dept is going to have to really dig to get them out of this hole they've made for themselves. The idea that I would trust any device they might roll ou…

… so… you’re talking about OpenAI or Apple?

Re: Apple targets dozens of OpenAI employees with legal letters

#13
post #11

How can I say this…? Some companies come across like a neon sign flashing "EVIL!". It's been nothing but warning signs from this company for at least a year now. I'm so happy to have nothing to do with them (having deleted my account a year or so ago). Their marketing dept is going to have to really dig to get them out of this hole they've made for themselves. The idea that I would trust any device they might roll ou…

… so… you’re talking about OpenAI or Apple?

From what we know this far it’s quite easy to be on Apples side in this particular question, right?

Re: Apple targets dozens of OpenAI employees with legal letters

#14
post #11

How can I say this…? Some companies come across like a neon sign flashing "EVIL!". It's been nothing but warning signs from this company for at least a year now. I'm so happy to have nothing to do with them (having deleted my account a year or so ago). Their marketing dept is going to have to really dig to get them out of this hole they've made for themselves. The idea that I would trust any device they might roll ou…

… so… you’re talking about OpenAI or Apple?

Ha ha. Worked at Apple for over two decades—would not have stayed at a company I thought was evil for that long.

A bully at times? I wouldn't argue with that.

Re: Apple targets dozens of OpenAI employees with legal letters

#15
I’m a huge fan of Apple but this kind of thing leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Regardless of whether OpenAI poached some of their talent or is the one in the wrong, Apple has such a massively dominant hardware business (some might say monopoly level in some areas) that for them to be publicly acknowledging how scared they are of OpenAI…it’s just…pathetic.

They’re a $5T company and can’t muster up the motivation to get in the game and compete in the next computing frontier.

Apple fanboys will invent some narrative about them swooping in with the best product as a laggard and claim it’s always their strategy, but I see zero evidence they have the capacity to do that anymore.

The Siri situation is just absolutely pathetic and no amount of bad press about OpenAI is going to change the fact that Apple neglecting Siri for a decade now has been a big F-U to their customers.

Re: Apple targets dozens of OpenAI employees with legal letters

#16
post #13
post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

… so… you’re talking about OpenAI or Apple?

From what we know this far it’s quite easy to be on Apples side in this particular question, right?

Especially since Apple has no history of doing this—suggests this is on another level of theft.

(I worked at Apple and am aware of little "theft" incidents that came and went. Obviously those little incidents never made the news cycle.)

Re: Apple targets dozens of OpenAI employees with legal letters

#17
post #12

Predictions on who wins? Does Apple actually have a winnable case or are they just throwing a wrench in things?

Apple is not the company that makes this sort of thing just for fun.

Also, they don't have a directly competing business with OpenAI, so slander doesn't make sense.

I think this is genuine.

Re: Apple targets dozens of OpenAI employees with legal letters

#18
post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

… so… you’re talking about OpenAI or Apple?

Ha ha. Worked at Apple for over two decades—would not have stayed at a company I thought was evil for that long. A bully at times? I wouldn't argue with that.

A quick search:

APP STORE, COMPETITION, AND MARKET CONTROL

  - U.S. Department of Justice antitrust lawsuit Accuses Apple of monopolizing
    smartphone markets and anticompetitive behavior.
    https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-sues-apple-monopolizing-smartphone-markets

  - EU Commission DMA breach The European Commission found Apple in breach of
    the Digital Markets Act regarding steering rules.
    https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/commission-finds-apple-and-meta-breach-digital-markets-act

  - Epic Games injunction sanctions Court rules Apple defied App Store order
    regarding external payment links.
    https://apnews.com/article/69b16572d2b2c990f6b69d4bbad9b57b

  - EU €1.8B App Store fine Fined for abusive music-streaming rules and
    preventing cheaper alternative information.
    https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_24_1161
IPHONE PERFORMANCE AND "BATTERYGATE"

  - Apple Will Finally Pay for Throttling iPhones (WIRED) Apple settled the
    throttling lawsuit for up to $500 million (without admitting guilt).
    https://www.wired.com/story/apple-batterygate-settlement-payments-finally-coming/
RIGHT TO REPAIR AND PARTS PAIRING

  - The End of Parts Pairing? Almost (iFixit) On how software component linking
    forces warnings and loses functionality.
    https://www.ifixit.com/News/100266/the-end-of-parts-pairing-almost

  - Self-Repair Programme Critique (Right to Repair Europe) Critiques
    serialization, remote authorization, and part restrictions.
    https://repair.eu/news/apples-self-repair-programme-is-not-the-right-to-repair-we-need/

  - France is Fighting to Save Your iPhone from an Early Death (WIRED) Regarding
    France's probe into planned obsolescence and parts pairing.
    https://www.wired.com/story/right-to-repair-apple-france/
PRIVACY AND SURVEILLANCE

  - Apple to pay $95 million to settle Siri privacy lawsuit (Reuters) Lawsuit
    alleging accidental Siri recordings and sharing with third parties.
    https://www.reuters.com/legal/apple-pay-95-million-settle-siri-privacy-lawsuit-2025-01-02/

  - Apple's CSAM On-Device Scanning Critiques (EFF) The Electronic Frontier
    Foundation's critique of Apple's plan to scan photos on-device (later
    dropped).
    https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/08/apples-plan-think-different-about-encryption-opens-backdoor-your-private-life
LABOR CONDITIONS IN SUPPLY CHAINS

  - Apple Reveals Supply Chain, Details Conditions (Reuters) Early reporting on
    audit findings of child labor and work violations.
    https://www.reuters.com/article/world/uk/apple-reveals-supply-chain-details-conditions-idUSTRE80C1KV/

  - Rights Group Says Apple Suppliers in China Broke Labor Laws (Reuters)
    Reports of excessive overtime and labor violations in Chinese factories.
    https://www.reuters.com/article/business/rights-group-says-apple-suppliers-in-china-breaking-labour-laws-idUSBRE85R0EF/
TAX PRACTICES

  - State aid: Ireland gave illegal tax benefits to Apple worth up to €13
    billion (European Commission) The EC ruling that Ireland gave illegal tax
    benefits to Apple, later upheld.
    https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_16_2923

Re: Apple targets dozens of OpenAI employees with legal letters

#19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ha ha. Worked at Apple for over two decades—would not have stayed at a company I thought was evil for that long. A bully at times? I wouldn't argue with that.

A quick search: APP STORE, COMPETITION, AND MARKET CONTROL - U.S. Department of Justice antitrust lawsuit Accuses Apple of monopolizing smartphone markets and anticompetitive behavior. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-sues-apple-monopolizing-smartphone-markets - EU Commission DMA breach The European Commission found Apple in breach of the Digital Markets Act regarding steering rules. https://digital-…

Well, just enough evil to increase profit margins.
Post reply on HN