December 5, 2025
Oi vs io: Name fight of the week
Jony Ive's OpenAI Device Barred from Using 'Io' Name
Fans call the name boring, underdog supporters cheer, and jokers yell “Oi”
TLDR: An appeals court kept OpenAI and Jony Ive from using “io” on hardware that could be confused with startup iyO’s device. Commenters roasted the bland name, questioned why not use the ChatGPT brand, split over “it’s just two letters” vs “protect the little guy,” and joked about rebranding to “Oi.”
Community reaction hit turbo as a U.S. appeals court kept a temporary order stopping OpenAI and Jony Ive’s new gadget from using the name “io” for products similar to rival startup iyO’s planned AI audio device. Commenters pounced on the branding first: “io”? Really? One crowd dragged the choice as painfully generic and hard to search, while another wondered why OpenAI didn’t lean on its already-famous ChatGPT name instead. The legal bit is simple: the Ninth Circuit said people could easily mix up “IO” and “iyO,” and that a smaller company could get steamrolled by a giant brand. It’s not a total ban, but it blocks “io” for similar hardware as the case heads back for a bigger hearing in April 2026, per Bloomberg Law.
The comment section delivered pure theater. One user deadpanned that the name sounds like it came from a GitHub repo, another quipped “Revenge is a dish best served icy cold,” linking the lawsuit to a rejected funding pitch drama, and a third pitched a new name—“Oi”—complete with fantasies of British tough-guy ads. There’s a split: some shrug that “two letters can’t be owned,” while others bang the drum for protecting small brands from reverse confusion. Meanwhile, someone popped in with peak sarcasm—“What is OpenAI again?”—as the internet collectively rolled its eyes and grabbed popcorn. OpenAI already scrubbed the “io” label, but the name-flame war is just getting started.
Key Points
- •The Ninth Circuit affirmed a temporary restraining order limiting OpenAI and Jony Ive’s venture from using the “io” mark on hardware similar to iyO’s plans.
- •iyO sued after OpenAI announced a partnership with Ive and planned “io” branding; filings show Ive and Sam Altman chose the name in mid-2023.
- •OpenAI argued its first “io” product would not be a wearable and that iyO’s CEO voluntarily disclosed details while proposing a $200M acquisition.
- •The courts found likely confusion and a risk of reverse confusion due to OpenAI’s size, and potential irreparable harm to iyO’s brand and fundraising.
- •The case returns to district court for a preliminary injunction hearing in April 2026; broader litigation may extend into 2027–2028, with OpenAI’s first hardware expected next year.