OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive's io for $6.5B Amid Trademark Dispute
OpenAI has acquired io, a hardware startup co-founded by Jony Ive, for approximately $6.5 billion. The acquisition aims to integrate io's capabilities into OpenAI's broader initiative for bespoke AI hardware solutions. However, an announcement blog post and a video featuring Jony Ive and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman have been removed from OpenAI's official channels due to a trademark lawsuit initiated by Iyo, a company specializing in hearing devices.
The removal of content is a result of a legal dispute between OpenAI and Iyo. Despite this, OpenAI has confirmed that the acquisition agreement with io remains active. OpenAI is currently reviewing its options in response to the trademark dispute. It is worth noting that no information has been found indicating that the collaboration between OpenAI and io, or the acquisition itself, was examined in court in relation to the lawsuit. All public references to io have been removed from OpenAI's digital platforms following the acquisition.
While the trademark dispute with Iyo has led to the removal of announcement content, OpenAI's acquisition of io for $6.5 billion remains active. OpenAI is reviewing its options in response to the legal challenge, and no court examination of the acquisition or collaboration has been reported. The future of OpenAI's bespoke AI hardware initiative with io continues to be monitored.
