America

Judge Lets X Case Against Apple, OpenAI Continue

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Inspirepreneur Team

Nov 14, 2025 3:55 PM IST

Category America

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Synopsis

A federal judge ruled on Thursday that Apple and OpenAI cannot dismiss the lawsuit filed by Elon Musk's companies, X and xAI. The lawsuit said Apple breached antitrust law by exclusively integrating ChatGPT into features of Apple Intelligence and shutting out other chatbots. Apple countered that its deal with OpenAI is not exclusive, and picking one partner first is lawful. OpenAI called the suit a part of Musk's pattern of harassment. Judge Mark Pittman said the case can proceed, but his ruling does not judge the merits of the claims. Stay updated regarding major lawsuits in technology and advancements in the artificial intelligence industry. 

Elon Musk owns a social media company called X, and he also operates an artificial intelligence company called xAI. Both of these companies filed a lawsuit against Apple, and OpenAI asked the judge to dismiss this lawsuit. But Judge Mark Pittman denied both of those motions. The lawsuit can continue for now. Musk's companies accuse Apple and OpenAI of working together to control the markets for smartphones and chatbots that use artificial intelligence. It is a win for Musk at an early stage of the legal case.

The Judge Explained His Decision

Judge Pittman is based at a federal court in Fort Worth, Texas. He wrote a relatively short order, and he made clear what the ruling means. The judge said people should not think his ruling means he sides with what Musk's companies are arguing. He is only saying that the case can continue, and both sides will get a chance to present their facts later on. OpenAI put out a statement after the ruling came out. The company said this lawsuit fits with how Musk has been harassing them, and they want to prove their side in court. Apple did not say anything when reporters contacted them. X also stayed quiet when asked for a comment.

The lawsuit was filed in August. Musk's companies say Apple broke antitrust laws. Antitrust laws are rules that stop companies from blocking competition in unfair ways. The main complaint is about ChatGPT. OpenAI makes ChatGPT, which is a chatbot, able to answer questions and write things. Apple made a deal with OpenAI so ChatGPT works with Apple Intelligence. Apple Intelligence is a feature built into iPhones and iPads, and Mac computers. Musk's lawsuit says Apple shut out all the other chatbot companies by making this exclusive deal with OpenAI.

What Both Sides Are Saying

The lawsuit also complains about the App Store. Apple has a list called “Must-Have Apps” that features some specific apps. Apple put ChatGPT on that list. But other chatbots got pushed down to places where people might not see them as easily. X and xAI say this made it harder for competing chatbots to get customers. Apple responded by telling the court that nothing stops them from working with other chatbot companies, too. The deal with OpenAI does not say Apple can only use ChatGPT forever. Apple said picking one partner to work with first is not against the law. The company also pointed out that other chatbots still work on Apple devices through web browsers and through apps.

Apple says X and its chatbot, called Grok, actually rank high in the App Store. That, according to the company, really demonstrates that Apple is not blocking them. OpenAI accused Musk of using lawsuits as weapons. They say he is waging a campaign of lawfare. Lawfare means filing lots of legal cases to attack someone instead of competing fairly. Musk also filed another lawsuit against OpenAI, this time in California. That case is still continuing too.

Background About These Companies

OpenAI was launched in 2022.. It became the fastest-growing application that people regularly used. Millions signed up in a few months. Musk actually helped start OpenAI many years ago, but he left, and they disagreed on how to run the company. Now Musk has his own AI company that competes with OpenAI. Musk bought Twitter in 2022 and changed its name to X. Then his AI company xAI bought X for 33 billion dollars in March. The social media posts on X provide data to train AI systems. Musk also made a chatbot called Grok, and he installed it in Tesla cars. Tesla is his electric car company. Right now, many technology companies are fighting about artificial intelligence. They want to develop the best AI systems and attract the greatest number of customers. 

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