On Monday, OpenAI scrubbed the information of its partnership with famed former Apple designer Jony Ive from its web site and social media because of a trademark infringement lawsuit introduced by the CEO of a tool firm, Iyo. (Ive’s firm is named “io”.)
In the future later, Altman responded to the information on X, writing that earlier than bringing the lawsuit, Iyo CEO Jason Rugolo had been “persistent” in his efforts to get OpenAI to accumulate or put money into his firm. He additionally added 4 screenshots of emails for proof.
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“We handed and have been clear alongside the best way,” Altman wrote concerning the non-deal. “Now he’s suing OpenAI over the title. That is foolish, disappointing and fallacious.”
jason rugolo had been hoping we’d put money into or purchase his firm iyo and was fairly persistent in his efforts. we handed and have been clear alongside the best way.
now he’s suing openai over the title. that is foolish, disappointing and fallacious. pic.twitter.com/k5oKHGLw0s
— Sam Altman (@sama) June 24, 2025
Altman added extra context (and defended try-hards in every single place), writing that he did “speak” with Rugolo on “his repeated outreaches,” and that Altman and OpenAI handed on shopping for his firm simply “a couple of days earlier than the lawsuit.”
“It’s cool to attempt tremendous onerous to lift cash or get acquired and to do no matter you possibly can to make your organization succeed,” Altman wrote. “It isn’t cool to show to a lawsuit whenever you dont get what you need. Units a horrible precedent for making an attempt to assist the ecosystem.”
all that mentioned, i want jason and his workforce one of the best constructing nice merchandise. the world definitely wants extra of that and fewer lawsuits.
— Sam Altman (@sama) June 24, 2025
About an hour after Altman’s Tweets, Rugolo wrote on X that “there are 675 different two-letter names they will select that are not ours.”
Although the submit on X was circuitously responding to Altman, it was a part of a thread from earlier within the week, when he wrote why they’re suing.
“You may’t begin an organization referred to as ‘appl’ or ‘googl’,” he wrote.
we’re not gonna let sam & jony steal our title.
— jason rugolo (@jasonRugolo) June 22, 2025
“I welcome their competitors available in the market, we’re all making an attempt to construct dope merchandise,” Rugolo wrote. “They simply cannot use our title.”
The go well with is ongoing.
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