OpenAI Confirms io Acquisition Despite Trademark Dispute
OpenAI has been embroiled in a trademark dispute with Iyo, leading to the removal of content related to its acquisition of io, a hardware startup co-founded by Jony Ive. Despite this, OpenAI has confirmed that the acquisition agreement with io remains active.
In a surprising turn of events, OpenAI has removed all public references to io from its digital platforms. This follows a trademark lawsuit initiated by Iyo, a company specializing in hearing devices. The acquisition, valued at approximately $6.5 billion, was aimed at integrating io's capabilities into OpenAI's broader initiative for bespoke AI hardware solutions.
The removal includes an announcement blog post and a nine-minute video featuring Jony Ive and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, which detailed the collaboration. However, there is no publicly available evidence suggesting a sales contract ever existed between OpenAI and Ive's hardware startup io, nor any reports of ongoing business activities or platforms connecting the two.
Despite the removal of content and the ongoing trademark dispute, OpenAI has confirmed that the acquisition agreement with io remains active. The terms of the acquisition, including the $6.5 billion valuation, have not changed. OpenAI is currently reviewing its options in response to the trademark dispute with Iyo.
