US District Judge Mark Pittman denied an emergency motion from OpenAI to disclose the confidential settlement terms between Apple and companies linked to Elon Musk, X Corp and SpaceXAI. The ruling was issued on September 17, 2026.
The legal dispute began in 2025 when X Corp and SpaceXAI filed an antitrust lawsuit, case number 4:25-cv-00914-P, alleging anti-competitive conduct by Apple and OpenAI regarding the integration of ChatGPT into Apple devices.
Plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed their claims against Apple between September 14 and 15, 2026. OpenAI, now the sole defendant, sought access to the settlement details to prepare its defense, but the judge found the information irrelevant to the ongoing case.
The litigation is moving toward a trial scheduled for January 2027. OpenAI must now defend against the antitrust allegations independently, while the court prepares for upcoming summary judgment motions.
