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Oct. 24, 2025

Engineer backed by Altman and Ive fights iyO trade secrets suit

Engineer Dan Sargent, backed by Sam Altman and Jony Ive, seeks dismissal of a trade secrets lawsuit from iyO Inc., claiming any alleged disclosures were protected speech under California's anti-SLAPP law.

Engineer backed by Altman and Ive fights iyO trade secrets suit
Dylan W. Wiseman of Buchalter

An engineer backed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Apple product designer Jony Ive has filed an anti-SLAPP motion to dismiss a lawsuit by a Bay Area tech startup accusing him of leaking trade secrets to a high-profile rival.

Artificial intelligence hardware startup iyO Inc. is suing one of its former engineers, Dan Sargent, for alleged trade secret theft and breach of contract, claiming he shared information with a competitor about a much-hyped "AI ear computer" called the ...

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