Apple's legal battle with prominent leaker Jon Prosser has taken a new turn, as the Cupertino giant has agreed to let him formally contest the lawsuit over alleged iOS 26 trade secret leaks. The development comes months after Prosser failed to respond to Apple's complaint on time, which resulted in a default judgment being entered against him in October 2025.
Jon Prosser Agrees to Deposition as Apple Lawsuit Moves Forward
According to a joint court filing submitted by Apple and Prosser, both parties have asked the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California to set aside the default judgment. If the request is approved by the court, Prosser will be given ten days to formally respond to Apple's allegations and defend himself in the case.
The lawsuit dates back to July 2025, when Apple accused Prosser and Michael Ramacciotti of misappropriating trade secrets related to what was then an unreleased version of iOS 26. Apple claims Ramacciotti gained unauthorised access to one of the development Apple iPhones belonging to Apple software engineer Ethan Lipnik and shared details of the software with Prosser.
Then, Prosser went on to publish videos showcasing recreated renders of features that eventually appeared in iOS 26. Lipnik was subsequently dismissed from the company.
What's particularly notable is that the latest filing also appears to resolve one of Apple's key complaints in the discovery phase. Earlier this year, Apple argued that Prosser had not fully complied with requests for documents and other evidence, prompting the company to seek legal action to compel his cooperation. Under the new agreement, Prosser has committed to providing materials that Apple says were previously missing by June 9, 2026.
Separately, Prosser has also agreed to sit for a deposition as part of the case. Court documents indicate that the deposition is currently scheduled for June 16, 2026. This marks a significant step forward after months of legal back-and-forth between the two sides.
