iyO Secures Trademark Victory: Restraining Order Against Sam Altman, Jony Ive, and OpenAI Upheld

Federal Court affirms that the tech giants cannot use the conflicting "IO" mark, validating iyO's claims of trademark infringement.

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- iyO, Inc., the pioneer in natural language computing, today announced a decisive legal victory against IO Products, Inc., OpenAI, Sam Altman, and Jony Ive. The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has affirmed a District Court's Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) preventing the defendants from using the "IO" mark in connection with the marketing or sale of products related to iyO's natural language computers.

This ruling acts as a major check on the aggressive tactics of Silicon Valley's most powerful figures, who sought to usurp the identity of an emerging innovator.

The conflict stems from a fundamental dispute over identity and fair competition. In early 2022, iyO leadership met with the defendants to discuss iyO's vision: a future where human-machine interaction is driven by natural language rather than screens. At the time, iyO was told the defendants were not interested in investing in natural language computers. Years later, after the world embraced the potential of Large Language Models (LLMs), the defendants launched a venture mirroring iyO's mission, utilizing a nearly identical name—"IO."

Despite iyO's established priority and federal trademark rights, the defendants proceeded to launch, forcing iyO to seek judicial intervention to protect its brand and its existence.

In a memorandum filed today (No. 25-4028), the Ninth Circuit rejected the defendants' appeal in its entirety. The Court validated iyO's position on several critical fronts:

• Likelihood of Confusion: The Court noted that "IO" and "iyO" are phonetically identical and that the products are related, as both companies aim to sell new computers with AI-driven natural language interaction.
• Reverse Confusion: The Court recognized the danger of "reverse confusion," where a larger, better-funded junior user (OpenAI/IO Products) saturates the market, making consumers believe the smaller senior user (iyO) is the infringer.
• Irreparable Harm: The Court affirmed that the defendants' aggressive launch "jeopardized iyO's ongoing fundraising efforts" and threatened to erode iyO's brand.

"Today's ruling is a victory not just for iyO, but for every startup that refuses to be taken advantage of by industry giants," said Dr. Jason Rugolo, CEO of iyO. "We shared our ideas with these individuals in 2022. They didn't just borrow our vision; they attempted to use our name. When we stood up for our rights, they tried to burden us with legal fees and baseless appeals, hoping we would run out of capital before we could have our day in court. They have underestimated our resolve."

"They thought their capital gave them the right to ignore existing trademark laws," continued Dr. Rugolo. "The Ninth Circuit has reminded them that no amount of funding allows one to circumvent the law. We founded iyO to bring natural language computers to billions of people, and we will continue that mission under our own name—protected and vindicated."

ABOUT IYO

iyO began its mission inside Google X in March 2018 to make natural language computing as commonplace as cellular phones are today.  After spinning out of Google as a venture-funded startup in August 2021, the company has attracted $37.2 million in investment to develop its breakthrough technology. iyO computers are a revolutionary new category of personal computer that allows users to interact with AI and the internet through voice alone, without the need for a screen.

WEBSITE + PRESS
www.iyo.ai

SOCIAL
ig: iyo.audio
x: @iyo_audio
yt: we_are_iyo

SOURCE iyO, Inc.