A federal judge has rejected motions by Apple and OpenAI to dismiss Elon Musk’s antitrust lawsuit, allowing the landmark case to proceed through the judicial system. The ruling represents a significant legal setback for the technology giants, who had sought to have the complaint thrown out on procedural grounds.
Legal analysts indicate the case will center on whether Apple’s iOS ecosystem creates anticompetitive barriers that prevent rival artificial intelligence developers from accessing its platform. The court’s decision to allow the lawsuit to continue suggests judicial recognition of the substantive antitrust questions raised in Musk’s complaint.
Industry observers note this development could have far-reaching implications for how major technology platforms manage third-party integrations and partnerships. The case now moves into the discovery phase, where both parties will gather evidence regarding Apple’s platform accessibility policies and their impact on market competition.
This legal challenge emerges amid growing regulatory scrutiny of Big Tech’s business practices worldwide. The outcome could potentially reshape how dominant technology platforms approach partnerships and ecosystem development, particularly in the rapidly evolving artificial intelligence sector.

