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OpenAI and Jony Ive trademark case paused for seven days
OpenAI, Jony Ive and iyO have paused their “io” trademark dispute for seven days while preparing a possible settlement.
Image: ITzine
The trademark dispute over “io” involving iyO, OpenAI and Jony Ive has been paused for seven days at the parties' request. According to 9to5Mac, the sides have agreed on the main terms of a settlement and are now preparing the paperwork.
By August 6, 2026, they must either file an official request to close the case or report to the court on the progress of negotiations. The hearing, which had already been postponed, is now scheduled for September 8.
How the io trademark dispute began
The conflict followed OpenAI’s acquisition of Jony Ive’s startup io Products, whose team is expected to develop the company’s future devices. iyO argued that the name was too similar to its trademark and sued to block its use.
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The court has already sided with iyO on that issue, issuing a preliminary injunction that prevents OpenAI from using the io brand for devices. That creates a direct problem for OpenAI’s upcoming hardware line, for which the name had become one of the few publicly visible details.
The project is being developed amid competition with *Apple, Meta a and Google** in AI-powered devices. Meta is designated an extremist organization in Russia, where its activities are prohibited.
iyO later added allegations involving trade-secret theft. The company claims that Tan Tan, a co-founder of io Products, gained access to confidential technology information through a former iyO executive.
The parties now appear to be attempting to resolve the dispute before a final court ruling. If they sign the settlement by the deadline, OpenAI could remove the trademark case from the risks surrounding its hardware launch. If negotiations fail, the dispute will return to court in September, with the branding question potentially joined by the trade-secret claims.
Source: Kod
Ilya Ignatov is a technical journalist and news writer. He graduated from the Moscow Technical University of Communications and Informatics with a degree in information security and has covered hardware, software and consumer electronics since 2018.
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via ITzine
