Apple vs the iOS 26 leaker, seeks the ‘maximum compensation’

The Cupertino company has intensified its legal crusade against the unauthorized spread of trade secrets. At the heart of this complex judicial saga are the well-known Jon Prosser, the face of the FPT channel, and his collaborator Michael Ramacciotti.

The charge brought by Apple is serious and outlines a real and organized plan to access a development device in order to steal confidential information, including key details about the operating system iOS 26.

Apple vs Jon Prosser, the Cupertino company seeks an exemplary punishment

According to court documents, the cyber operation was carried out against Ethan Lipnik, then an Apple employee and Ramacciotti’s friend, who was subsequently fired by the company precisely because of this matter.

Using knowledge of the unlock code and waiting for a prolonged absence of the rightful owner, Ramacciotti would have gained access to Lipnik’s development iPhone. The data theft would have occurred in real time via a FaceTime video call started immediately with Prosser, allowing him to view the software in action in advance.

This confidential material was then used in March 2025 to create precise graphical reproductions of the Messages application and, the following month, of the new interface named Liquid Glass, shown to the public as the largest and most complete leaks ever made up to that moment.

For his purely operational role, Apple contends that Ramacciotti received a financial compensation directly from Prosser.

The legal battle and the contempt-of-court ruling

While Ramacciotti and his team of lawyers chose the route of cooperation with the California authorities, initiating the regular exchange of evidence, documents and witness information, Prosser’s position appears decidedly more rigid.

Due to the lack of formal response to the complaint within the legal deadlines, the court granted Apple a default judgement. This important legal decision implies the court’s total acceptance of the truth of the company’s statements, in principle guaranteeing the measures requested in the complaint.

Although last October Prosser publicly stated that he was not ignoring the case, the situation continued in the courtroom. Cupertino’s lawyers served him subpoenas to obtain specific documents and schedule a sworn deposition.

This step will be crucial to quantify the exact volume of confidential information stolen over the years, a decisive element that will help the judge determine the overall extent of the company’s economic damages.

Cupertino’s demands and zero tolerance

The company led by Tim Cook, known for its absolute intolerance towards premature disclosure of details about its devices, does not intend to concede. The management has formally requested a trial with a jury, aiming to obtain a permanent injunction against the defendants to prevent any future disclosure of trade secrets without explicit written consent.

In addition to quantifiable damages in court, Apple demands the payment of punitive damages motivated by misappropriation, clearly defined as intentional and willful in the legal documents.

The financial request also includes applying the maximum statutory interest pre- and post-sentence, the full reimbursement of attorney fees and any other damages deemed appropriate by the court.

However, the aggressive legal move does not seem to have stopped the FPT channel’s activities. Just last month, Prosser himself released new renders related to the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro, anticipating features that are still secret, such as the variable aperture for the main cameras and the advanced 5G satellite connectivity, proving that tech leaks are an extremely difficult phenomenon to fully curb.