OpenAI and Jony Ive’s io have removed all public details about the latter’s acquisition. The much-hyped video announcing the acquisition is also no longer live on YouTube. Contrary to rumors, this is not due to the deal between the two companies falling apart.
The issue stems from a trademark dispute over the name “io” used by Ive’s firm.
OpenAI scrubs Jony Ive deal after court order
On May 21, 2025, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI (the company behind ChatGPT), announced a $6.5 billion acquisition of io. The announcement was made through a long video, in which Altman and former Apple design chief Jony Ive gushed over each other. They also teased their upcoming AI device, which won’t be a smartphone.
“The products that we’re using to deliver and connect us to unimaginable technology, they’re decades old,” Ive said in the video. “Yeah, and so it’s just common sense to at least think surely there’s something beyond these legacy products.”
The AI-powered devices may reportedly debut in 2026.
But before that, the two companies must resolve another problem. A trademark dispute filed by iYo, a hearing startup spun out of Google, and a subsequent court order forced OpenAI to take down all public content related to the announcement.
However, this lawsuit won’t have any effect on OpenAI’s acquisition of Jony Ive’s firm.
In a statement to The Verge, OpenAI spokesperson Kayla Wood said, “This page is temporarily down due to a court order following a trademark complaint from iyO about our use of the name ‘io.’ We don’t agree with the complaint and are reviewing our options.”
This page is temporarily down due to a court order following a trademark complaint from iyO about our use of the name “io.” We don’t agree with the complaint and are reviewing our options.https://t.co/suwMRPTHqB
— OpenAI Newsroom (@OpenAINewsroom) June 22, 2025
In another statement to Bloomberg, a Jony Ive spokesperson said, “This is an utterly baseless complaint and we’ll fight it vigorously.”
So, even if the lawsuit doesn’t go Jony Ive’s way, the deal with OpenAI will still stand.
