Core Viewpoint - OpenAI is embroiled in a controversial legal dispute with the startup iyO, which has secured a restraining order against OpenAI, compelling the company to withdraw marketing materials for its $6.4 billion AI device project in collaboration with Jony Ive [1][2]. Group 1: Legal Dispute Details - iyO's founder, Jason Rugolo, accuses OpenAI and Jony Ive's design firm LoveFrom of serious business misconduct, claiming that their announcement of a new hardware company named "io" was a deceptive move following acquisition discussions with iyO [2][3]. - Rugolo expressed that without the temporary restraining order, the announcement could have severely harmed iyO's business prospects, describing it as a case of "big companies trying to crush small companies" [2][3]. - OpenAI has removed a blog post and promotional video regarding the "io" company due to a federal court's restraining order [2]. Group 2: Background and Negotiation Dynamics - Rugolo had pitched the iyO project to OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman in March 2023, leading to a video call and a follow-up presentation scheduled for May 1, which included key OpenAI executives [3][4]. - Internal feedback from OpenAI indicated a lack of interest in acquiring iyO, citing that the product did not align with their direction and was functionally inadequate [3][4]. - iyO, established in 2021, has developed the "iyO One" AI headphones, which feature a conversational voice assistant connected to an application suite [4]. Group 3: Court Statements and Future Implications - In court statements, Altman claimed he was unaware of Rugolo or iyO at the time of the "io" company's formation and described Rugolo's funding request as "sudden" [6]. - Tang Tan, an OpenAI executive, stated that he met Rugolo to assist a friend and rejected the proposal to review iyO's intellectual property, asserting that Rugolo seemed desperate for cash [6]. - The legal proceedings are set to continue, with a key preliminary injunction hearing scheduled for October 2023, which will determine the future of the "io" brand and its impact on OpenAI and Jony Ive's AI hardware strategy [6].
信了Altman,却被“背刺”?AI初创iyO怒告OpenAI抄袭!
Hua Er Jie Jian Wen·2025-06-25 11:16