What’s in a name? An apparently messy lawsuit over future artificial intelligence (AI) devices.
IYO Inc., a Silicon Valley-based wearable startup founded by a former Google engineer, this week filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, its CEO Sam Altman, and former Apple Inc. design whiz Jony Ive and his hardware venture io, over “willful” trademark infringement and unfair competition.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in San Francisco on June 9, claims io is a “homophone of plaintiff’s IYO name” and intends to launch an “eerily familiar” service. Last month, OpenAI announced plans to acquire io for about $6.4 billion to presumably develop AI devices.
“It is amazing to me that Sam Altman, of all people, is part of a Goliath company trying to trample on the rights of our small startup, since he was always in favor of the little guy,” Jason Rugolo, co-founder of IYO, said in a statement. “And while they have provided no legal justification for their actions, it is noteworthy that OpenAI filed a lawsuit in a similar matter OpenAI vs. Open Artificial Intelligence, where OpenAI sought and obtained an injunction preventing another party from using the mark ‘Open AI.’ Here the shoe is on the other foot.”
IYO is seeking a temporary restraining order and damages.
IYO said it has invested “millions of dollars and years of effort developing its revolutionary new product, branded ‘IYO ONE.'” The company said it is designing hardware and software that would allow users to “do everything they currently do on a computer, phone, or tablet without using a physical interface.”
OpenAI, in a separate filing in federal court in Northern California on June 12, called the lawsuit “purely hypothetical and thus insufficiently ripe” for the court to act.
