A temporary restraining order has been upheld by an appeals court in the United States that stops the hardware of Jony Ive and OpenAI from using io as the ‘io’ name for similar products to be released by iyO, a startup in AI audio.
OpenAI debated that the first product of io is not going to be a wearable gadget, and Jason Rugolo, iyO CEO, openly discussed details while hinting that OpenAI is looking to acquire the company for $200 million. A restraining order was still issued by the district court, stopping Altman, IO Products, Inc., and OpenAI from using io. The company removed the io from their branding after this.
The case has been returned for a preliminary hearing injunction to the district court, set next year in April, with wider litigation anticipated to reach until 2027 or the year after. OpenAI is planning to release its first hardware device in 2026.
