OpenAI pulls promotional materials around Jony Ive deal

OpenAI appears to have pulled a much-discussed video promoting the friendship between CEO Sam Altman and legendary Apple designer Jony Ive (plus, incidentally, OpenAI’s $6.5 billion deal to acquire Ive and Altman’s device startup io) from its website and YouTube page.

Does that suggest something is amiss with the acquisition, or with plans for Ive to lead design work at OpenAI? Not exactly, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who reports that the “deal is on track and has NOT dissolved or anything of the sort.” Instead, he said a judge has issued a restraining order over the io name, forcing the company to pull all materials that used it.

And indeed, an earlier report at Bloomberg Law noted that AI device maker IYO has brought a trademark lawsuit against OpenAI, with the judge suggesting she’s open to IYO’s argument that OpenAI’s promotional video might already be creating consumer confusion.

TechCrunch has reached out to OpenAI for comment. For now, at least, the video remains viewable on X.