In a joint status report, attorneys for Apple and Michael Ramacciotti updated the court on the latest developments in the trade secrets lawsuit over the leak of iOS 26 design details. Here’s what’s new with the case.
Case update
Last February, Apple and Ramacciotti sent a joint status report to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California informing Judge James Donato that they had continued exchanging limited discovery as Apple worked to determine the full scope of what Ramacciotti had been able to gather by accessing the iPhone of a former engineer.
At the time, they also informed the court that they anticipated “filing a further update with the Court on April 13, 2026.” That happened yesterday, with the update bringing fresh information on the latest developments in the case.
When it comes to Ramacciotti, the parties informed the court that they “have continued to advance this case through limited discovery. Apple has forensically reviewed an additional device Mr. Ramacciotti provided to Apple.”
The document also informs the court that “Mr. Ramacciotti has agreed to supplement his interrogatory responses and offered to sit for a follow-up deposition once Apple completes its limited third-party discovery, including any deposition of Mr. Prosser.”
Prosser update
As for Jon Prosser, things seem less straightforward. Last October, the court accepted Apple’s request to enter a default judgment against him after he missed the deadline to answer the complaint, effectively forfeiting his right to formally contest the allegations in the lawsuit.
Back then, Prosser said that he had “been in active communications with Apple since the beginning stages of this case”, adding that “[t]he notion that I’m ignoring the case is incorrect.”
In the February joint status report, Apple confirmed that despite the court entering a default judgment against Prosser, he had “acknowledged receipt of the document and deposition subpoenas, and Apple (was) working with him to coordinate a date for his deposition.”
In the new joint status report, Apple says:
“The parties stipulated to limited discovery on defaulted Defendant Jon Prosser and others. Apple sent courtesy copies of the subpoenas to Mr. Prosser on January 30, 2026, and served subpoenas on Mr. Prosser on February 3, 2026. While Mr. Prosser has provided some responsive materials, he has failed to fully respond to Apple’s requests and indicates he is retaining counsel and intends to move to set aside default. Apple has extended the deadline for him to respond multiple times, but has not yet received the limited discovery it seeks to understand the full scope of what Apple confidential information and trade secrets Messrs. Ramacciotti and Prosser were in possession of and how they obtained it.”
And
“The parties stipulated to limited discovery on third parties. As part of this discovery, Apple served Mr. Prosser with document and deposition subpoenas. Mr. Prosser has provided certain responsive materials and has indicated that other responsive materials exist. But he has failed to fully respond, or to respond at all, to certain requests. Apple likewise has worked to coordinate a date for Mr. Prosser’s deposition, which should take place after Mr. Prosser has fully responded to Apple’s document request subpoena. Apple therefore intends to file a Motion for an Order to Show Cause in N.D. Ohio.”
In other words, the report states that, despite indicating that additional materials exist, Prosser has only partially complied with Apple’s subpoenas, and that he is hiring a lawyer while also planning to ask the court to set aside the default entered against him. (A court filing submitted today appears to show that Prosser has now formally retained legal counsel, although that document is not yet publicly available.)
Apple also says it plans to file a motion in federal court in Ohio seeking an order for Prosser to show cause why he has not fully complied with Apple’s subpoenas, despite multiple deadline extensions.
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