American judge shaping tech antitrust and AI litigation
A California jury has found Elon Musk’s 2024 lawsuit against OpenAI, Sam Altman and Greg Brockman to be time-barred under the statute of limitations. The verdict, accepted by US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, clears OpenAI of liability over Musk’s claims that the nonprofit pivot to a for-profit structure harmed his early contributions. Musk plans to appeal; OpenAI edges toward an IPO path with Microsoft’s backing.
OpenAI has won a portion of the Musk v. Altman litigation, with a judge dismissing xAI’s trade secrets case against OpenAI with prejudice. The ruling reaffirms OpenAI’s legal position, while Musk has signaled intent to appeal. The case underscores ongoing tensions in AI development and corporate governance.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that Meta and TikTok cannot appeal early on Section 230 immunity claims, allowing multiple lawsuits over addictive design and youth safety to proceed. Trials for state AG actions and other plaintiffs remain scheduled, with bellwether cases moving forward.