OpenAI-Jony Ive AI hardware venture hits trademark snag over brand name
Though the partnership continues, OpenAI may have to drop the "io" name due to an existing claim by another AI startup.
Credit: OpenAI
- A blog post announcing OpenAI’s $6.5B acquisition of Jony Ive’s hardware startup “io” has been taken down due to a court order stemming from a trademark complaint by a company called iyO.
- OpenAI clarified that despite speculation, the partnership with Ive is still ongoing, and it’s exploring options regarding the name dispute.
- iyO, which already sells an AI-powered “audio computer,” claims the “io” name infringes on their trademark.
All traces of OpenAI’s much-hyped hardware venture with legendary Apple designer Jony Ive have suddenly disappeared due to a court order triggered by a trademark complaint. A blog post that once sat prominently on OpenAI’s website was pulled without warning, briefly showing a 404 error (h/t Max Weinbach). Naturally, this sparked speculation that the partnership between Sam Altman’s OpenAI and Ive had fallen apart. But the company has since clarified that’s not the case.
