Discovery in limbo
Apple has reported to the court that it has received no communication from Jon Prosser’s lawyer since July 6. Prosser’s legal team attributed the lack of updates to the recent arrival of the leaker’s second child. This new life event has consumed much of his attention and time. Earlier in June, Prosser’s attorney had sought and received court permission to overturn a default judgment that had been issued in Apple’s favor. The court’s decision allowed the discovery phase to restart after Prosser failed to respond to the lawsuit in a timely manner. This ultimately led to Apple securing the default. Apple and Prosser have worked to advance this case through limited discovery. Prosser provided documents and communications to Apple, and sat for a deposition on June 16. Apple has stated that Prosser's attorney has indicated he will find dates for Prosser to provide the remaining discovery materials.
Leak case timeline
The case began when Apple filed a legal action against Jon Prosser and Michael Ramacciotti in July 2025, accusing them of misappropriating trade secrets tied to then-unreleased iOS 26 software, including the Liquid Glass redesign, by accessing a development iPhone belonging to Apple engineer Ethan Lipnik. Apple accused the pair of misappropriating trade secrets and violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act by gaining unauthorized access to a development iPhone and leaking its content. While Ramacciotti quickly provided the necessary information in response to Apple’s discovery requests, Prosser did not, which led to the court default being granted in Apple’s favor in October 2025. This ruling limited Prosser’s ability to challenge the claims unless the decision was reversed. In June, Prosser’s attorney succeeded in asking the court to reset the case and permitted discovery to proceed. In his formal answer filed on July 2, Prosser admitted joining a FaceTime call in which Ramacciotti showed him unreleased iOS features running on the development device, but denied that what he saw constituted trade secrets and denied knowing the device belonged to Lipnik. Apple is seeking damages as well as a permanent injunction barring Prosser from disclosing its trade secrets again. Such an order could stop him from covering unreleased Apple products at all, which forms a significant part of his YouTube channel.
Next steps unclear
According to a recent joint filing with the court, Prosser’s lawyer has expressed a commitment to scheduling additional discovery sessions. Ramacciotti, on the other hand, has accepted the need for a second deposition. He is set to participate in September. The legal teams involved have also agreed to submit a new status report to the court on October 7. Apple has pointed out that Prosser’s responses are still incomplete. More documentation is required. The case remains in a state of waiting. Many core issues still pending resolution. The next phase of the process dependent on further cooperation from all parties involved. Ramacciotti's second deposition is set for September, and all three parties expect to file another status update with the court on October 7.