OpenAI Removes ‘io’ Branding Amid Trademark Dispute, Deal With Jony Ive Still On

OpenAI has quietly removed all public references to "io," the hardware startup co-founded by former Apple design chief Jony Ive, from its website and social media platforms. The move follows a legal challenge over the name—but the underlying partnership remains intact.

The content was taken down shortly after OpenAI announced its $6.5 billion acquisition and plans to develop dedicated AI hardware. The original blog post and a nine-minute promotional video featuring both Ive and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman are no longer available online.

Trademark Dispute Behind the Removal

According to a statement shared with The Verge, OpenAI confirmed that the removal was prompted by a trademark lawsuit from Iyo, a hearing device company that spun out of Google’s experimental lab, formerly known as X (or "moonshot factory").

An OpenAI spokesperson, Kayla Wood, stated:

"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."

Despite the branding conflict, OpenAI maintains that the partnership with Jony Ive’s team is still active and progressing.

Background on the Partnership

In the original joint announcement—now removed—the companies said:

"The io team, focused on developing products that inspire, empower and enable, will now merge with OpenAI to work more intimately with the research, engineering and product teams in San Francisco."

The collaboration was framed as a major step in building consumer-facing AI hardware, combining OpenAI’s software capabilities with Ive’s design expertise. It was pitched as a new kind of device—meant to be as indispensable as a laptop or smartphone.

What This Means

The removal of the “io” branding underscores how even high-profile tech collaborations can be tripped up by legal conflicts—especially around naming and trademarks. It’s a reminder that brand identity, while often secondary to product vision, can still derail public momentum and visibility.

Still, the underlying goal remains unchanged: to bring AI closer to users through purpose-built hardware. While the project's name may evolve, the stakes haven’t. The partnership between Jony Ive and OpenAI represents one of the most closely watched efforts to fuse cutting-edge AI with industrial design—a combination that could shape how consumers experience artificial intelligence in daily life.

Editor’s Note: This article was created by Alicia Shapiro, CMO of AiNews.com, with writing, image, and idea-generation support from ChatGPT, an AI assistant. However, the final perspective and editorial choices are solely Alicia Shapiro’s. Special thanks to ChatGPT for assistance with research and editorial support in crafting this article.