Recently, the collaboration between OpenAI and renowned designer Jony Ive sparked a legal dispute. One month after announcing the partnership, all related promotional materials and information were removed from OpenAI's website. The incident originated from another AI wearable device company called Iyo, which filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and its partners, accusing them of stealing their product concepts and trademark name.

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Image source note: The image was generated by AI, and the image licensing service is Midjourney

Last month, Ive and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman jointly announced their collaboration, planning to launch an AI device without a defined form and without a screen, which is expected to be worth about $6.5 billion. This move attracted widespread attention and was accompanied by a striking black-and-white photo.

However, Iyo claims that its "world's first audio computer" is activated through AI voice and believes that OpenAI and Ive's project infringes on their trademark. In the lawsuit filed in a California district court, Iyo pointed out that OpenAI's promotion caused market confusion and led to misunderstandings about the ownership of the trademark. They also mentioned that since 2022, OpenAI had already been aware of their earphone products and had meetings with representatives of Ive and Altman before announcing the new product.

Judge Trina Thompson, who is handling the case, believes that Iyo's trademark infringement case has sufficient evidence for a full trial, so she decided to hold a hearing in October and asked Ive and Altman to suspend related marketing campaigns. In response, Ive's representative stated that this lawsuit is "baseless" and promised to "actively deal with it." Altman responded on social media, stating that Iyo's CEO Jason Rugolo hoped that OpenAI would invest in or acquire their company, and taking legal action after announcing the new product was "foolish, disappointing, and wrong."

In the initial stage of the case, it is unclear which party's position is more reasonable, but it is foreseeable that more interesting details may emerge during the upcoming trial, or OpenAI may choose to settle the dispute with a financial payment.

Key points:

1. ⚖️ OpenAI's collaboration with designer Jony Ive triggered a legal crisis due to a trademark infringement lawsuit.

2. 📉 Iyo claims that OpenAI stole its concept for an audio computer, causing market confusion.

3. 🏛️ The judge has decided to conduct a full trial and requested the suspension of related promotional activities.