The “io” brand, a joint hardware venture between OpenAI and world-famous designer Jony Ive, has encountered a legal obstacle before it has even been commercially launched. All content belonging to the brand has been removed from OpenAI’s official website and social media platforms. Although the company announced that the hardware-focused collaboration continues, the name “io” is no longer available on any public media.
OpenAI’s “io” initiative faces legal obstacles
In the background of this development, there is another technology initiative called “iyO”. iyO, supported by Google’s parent company X (formerly Moonshot Factory), is an organization working on hearing technologies.
As a result of the lawsuit filed by the company, the court ruled that OpenAI temporarily remove all digital content related to the “io” brand. This trademark dispute, which arose from the similarity of the names, has not yet been resolved.
OpenAI spokesperson Kayla Wood said in a statement on the subject, “This page is temporarily closed due to a court order regarding iyO’s trademark complaint regarding the use of the name ‘io’. We disagree with the complaint and are evaluating our options.” It was stated that the company will appeal the lawsuit, but that the content has been completely removed at this stage.
The collaboration between OpenAI and Jony Ive was announced to the public on May 21, 2025. In the statement made on that date, it was stated that OpenAI had taken over Ive’s “io” initiative with a budget of approximately $6.5 billion and that an entirely new hardware product would be developed.
While the details of the hardware project have not yet been shared with the public, this trademark dispute may require a major revision regarding the project’s name. So what do you think about this issue? You can share your views with us in the comments section below.
