Overview

• Iyo filed a trademark infringement suit on June 9, claiming that OpenAI’s use of the ‘io’ name after its $6.4 billion acquisition of Jony Ive’s startup infringed on Iyo’s brand and risked confusion with its Iyo One audio wearable.
• On June 12, a federal judge granted Iyo’s request for a temporary restraining order, forcing OpenAI to remove all ‘io’ branding and Jony Ive materials from its website.
• CEO Sam Altman shared private email exchanges on X showing Iyo CEO Jason Rugolo’s earlier pitches for investment and labeled the lawsuit “silly, disappointing and wrong.”
• OpenAI has asked a court to dismiss the suit as “unfounded” and “premature” while confirming that its secretive AI hardware device, which its team says will neither be in-ear nor a wearable, remains slated for a 2026 release.
• The case is scheduled for a full hearing in October 2025 as OpenAI advances development and Iyo proceeds with pre-orders for the Iyo One device.