GoKawiilIn a new filing, iyO alleges that former Apple designer and now io co-founder Tang Tan was given access to its confidential designs, broadening the initial scope of the lawsuit against OpenAI. Here are the details.
A bit of background
Almost a year ago, OpenAI acquired io, an AI company founded by Jony Ive.
Almost immediately after the announcement, a hearing device startup called iyO filed a trademark lawsuit, which led OpenAI to scrub all materials related to the announcement.
In the lawsuit, iyO alleged that OpenAI was improperly and purposely using a name similar to its own, which would cause confusion and dilute the value of its brand, since they would operate in the same overall market.
iyO claimed to be working on AI-powered earpieces and that its executives had met with OpenAI representatives on several occasions, during which they showcased their product and technology.
OpenAI and io, on the other hand, filed several documents telling a different story. According to them, iyO CEO Jason Rugolo kept volunteering details about his company and its technology, and offered to sell the company for $200 million after OpenAI rejected an unsolicited bid to invest in iyO.
OpenAI also said that the first io product wouldn’t be an AI-powered wearable.
Since then, the case has seen the usual back-and-forth, with procedural hearings, filings, and appeals involving the prosecution and the defense. More recently, OpenAI confirmed that it does not intend to use the io brand name at all, which some had expected to put an end to the lawsuit.
It didn’t.
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