Craig Federighi added to xAI suit
- On May 13, U.S. Magistrate Judge Hal R. Ray Jr. let xAI add Apple software chief Craig Federighi as a discovery custodian in its suit. - Federighi, not Tim Cook, was found likely to hold “unique relevant evidence,” and Apple was ordered to produce his documents by June 17. - By June 3, Elon Musk must produce Tesla, SpaceX, text and XChat communications, while Apple’s Federighi production is due June 17.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Hal R. Ray Jr. has given Elon Musk’s xAI a narrower discovery win in its lawsuit against Apple and OpenAI, ordering Apple to collect documents from software chief Craig Federighi while declining to force discovery from Chief Executive Tim Cook. The May 13 order does not decide the antitrust claims. It does decide whose records Apple must search as the case moves deeper into evidence gathering. Apple must produce Federighi’s documents by June 17, while Musk faces his own discovery deadline on June 3. The ruling matters because it shifts the fight from broad claims about Apple’s relationship with OpenAI to a named executive tied to Apple Intelligence and software integration. xAI and X Corp. have accused Apple and OpenAI of favoring ChatGPT through Siri integration and App Store treatment, allegations Apple has denied while saying its OpenAI arrangement is non-exclusive. (moneycontrol.com) ### Why did the judge pick Craig Federighi but not Tim Cook? Judge Ray said xAI had shown enough to treat Federighi as a document custodian because of his role as Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering and his involvement in decisions tied to Apple Intelligence and OpenAI integration. In discovery, a custodian is a person whose emails, files and other records must be searched for relevant evidence. (moneycontrol.com) Tim Cook was spared because the court found xAI had not shown that Apple’s chief executive was likely to have unique evidence that could not be obtained from Federighi or other sources. That distinction narrowed xAI’s request rather than giving it company-wide access to Apple’s top leadership records. (moneycontrol.com) ### What is xAI actually accusing Apple and OpenAI of doing? X Corp. and xAI sued Apple and OpenAI in federal court in Texas in August 2025, alleging the companies used their partnership to shut out rivals in AI. The complaint says Apple’s integration of ChatGPT into its devices and operating systems, along with alleged favoritism in distribution, harmed competition and disadvantaged products including Grok. (moneycontrol.com) Apple has denied the allegations, and reports on the May order say the company has maintained that its partnership with OpenAI is non-exclusive. The court’s latest ruling addresses discovery disputes, not whether the underlying conspiracy and monopolization claims are valid. (abcnews.com) ### What else did the court allow — and reject? The May 13 order also rejected part of xAI’s broader push for Apple material, including a request for internal Apple documents about how the company uses artificial intelligence internally. The court said that material did not appear tied closely enough to the core antitrust claims. (moneycontrol.com) At the same time, the judge required Apple to produce documents related to possible exclusivity terms involving AI providers on Apple devices, according to reports describing the order. That keeps part of xAI’s theory alive in discovery even as other requests were cut back. (moneycontrol.com) ### Why is OpenAI part of this fight if the order focused on Apple? OpenAI remains a defendant because xAI’s complaint targets the Apple-OpenAI arrangement itself. The lawsuit argues that OpenAI benefited from access to Apple’s ecosystem in ways that rivals could not match, and that the arrangement affected both device-level integration and competition among chatbot providers. (moneycontrol.com) OpenAI also won a discovery ruling of its own. Judge Ray ordered Musk to turn over emails from Tesla and SpaceX accounts, plus communications from text and XChat accounts, by June 3, according to reporting on the order. ### What happens next in the case? June 3 is the next concrete deadline for Musk’s production of Tesla, SpaceX, text and XChat communications. (courthousenews.com) June 17 is the deadline for Apple to produce Federighi’s documents. Those productions will shape the next phase of motions and depositions in the Northern District of Texas case involving X Corp., xAI, Apple and OpenAI. (moneycontrol.com)
