United States District Judge Mark Pittman has denied xAI's request to block the use of Elon Musk's Tesla and SpaceX emails in the ongoing legal discovery process tied to a lawsuit against Apple and OpenAI.
The ruling reinforces earlier decisions requiring broader access to Musk-related communications across multiple companies.
Judges Debate Scope of Discovery
For those unfamiliar with the case, it centers on Musk's lawsuit alleging that Apple and OpenAI engaged in anticompetitive behavior, particularly involving App Store ranking practices and Apple's integration of ChatGPT into Siri and Apple Intelligence features.
The dispute escalated during a recent hearing before United States Magistrate Judge Hal R. Ray Jr., where legal teams representing Apple, OpenAI, X, and xAI debated how far discovery should extend.
Judge Ray previously approved requests allowing X and xAI to include Apple executive Craig Federighi as a document custodian. He also ordered Apple to produce documents related to its agreement with Google concerning Gemini integration into Siri systems.
In a separate ruling, Judge Ray sided with OpenAI's position that Musk's Tesla and SpaceX email accounts could be searched, arguing that communications across his companies may be relevant to the case.
Court Finds Cross-Company Email Use Relevant
The court rejected xAI's argument that Tesla and SpaceX email accounts were outside its custody or control. Judge Ray noted evidence suggesting Musk's business communications often span multiple corporate entities.
According to 9to5Mac, one example cited in proceedings involved internal correspondence where xAI's CFO allegedly sent company financial updates to Musk's SpaceX email account. This supported OpenAI's claim that Musk regularly uses non-xAI accounts for official business matters.
Judge Pittman upheld this reasoning, concluding that sufficient evidence exists to suggest Musk conducts X and xAI-related business through Tesla and SpaceX email accounts, making them subject to federal discovery rules.
Motion to Pause Discovery Denied
Following Judge Ray's order, xAI and X filed objections and requested a temporary pause on the discovery process. However, Judge Pittman overruled the motion, denied the stay, and allowed the email discovery to proceed.
In his written order, Pittman emphasized that Musk's overlapping executive roles justify broader discovery, particularly when business communications may occur across multiple corporate domains.
He also noted that companies are obligated to produce documents when executives use external or affiliated accounts for corporate activities, regardless of which organization formally owns those accounts.
No Production Deadline Yet Set
While the court has confirmed that the emails fall within the scope of discovery, no deadline has yet been established for their production.
Earlier filings indicate xAI will require time to retrieve the data, but it has stated it will comply with court orders once finalized.
Originally published on Tech Times
