Elon Musk's X Corp and SpaceXAI said on Monday they had resolved their antitrust claims against Apple, which they accused of conspiring with OpenAI to monopolize smartphone and generative AI chatbot markets. The resolution ends a high-profile legal battle between Musk and one of the world's most valuable companies over control of the fast-growing AI chatbot market, though the claims against OpenAI will continue, CNA reported.
What did the filing say? X and SpaceXAI, a division of SpaceX, moved in court to dismiss the Apple claims in the lawsuit they brought last year against both Apple and OpenAI. The filing, CNA reported, did not explain the reasons for dismissal or say whether a settlement had been reached. Musk's companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and neither did Apple or OpenAI.
What did the lawsuit allege? The suit accused Apple of violating antitrust law by exclusively integrating OpenAI's ChatGPT into Apple Intelligence features on iPhones and other Apple devices, and of illegally shutting out rivals through that partnership, CNA reported. It alleged that Apple and OpenAI "locked up markets to maintain their monopolies and prevent innovators like X and xAI from competing." A judge ruled in November that the case could move forward, a preliminary victory for Musk. Both companies have denied any wrongdoing, and Apple, in seeking dismissal of the lawsuit, said its OpenAI integration on iPhones is not exclusive.
What happens to the claims against OpenAI? X and SpaceXAI said they will continue to pursue their claims against OpenAI. OpenAI said in a court filing on Monday that it was not involved in the agreement and did not know its terms. It said it had asked X to make the agreement available, saying the agreement would likely affect the claims in the lawsuit and its own defense. OpenAI has also accused Musk, in a court filing, of waging "a campaign of lawfare" against it. In May, OpenAI defeated a separate lawsuit by Musk that accused the company of straying from its original mission to develop artificial intelligence for the benefit of humanity and not for profit.
Figures referenced: Elon Musk. — JudgeMarket.
