TradeSun sues OpenAI over the "Astra" name, claiming 2022 trademark on AI software

#What happened

On October 5, 2026, TradeSun Inc. sued OpenAI for trademark infringement in federal court in San Francisco — the US District Court for the Northern District of California, case TradeSun Inc. v. OpenAI OpCo LLC, No. 3:26-cv-11360 — over the name of OpenAI's flagship AI model, GPT-6 Astra. Reuters reported the suit.

TradeSun is a Del Mar, California trade-finance AI company whose Astra software uses AI agents to analyze trade documents for banks and financial institutions. It says it has used the "Astra" name since 2021 and secured a federal trademark registration for Astra covering AI software services in 2022, per Bloomberg Law.

TradeSun argues customers could mistake its software for an OpenAI product. Its complaint says: "By saturating the market with 'Astra,' OpenAI is teaching the public that Astra means OpenAI," per Reuters.

OpenAI, in a spokesperson statement to Bloomberg Law: "This complaint lacks any merit whatsoever. We remain focused on responsibly building technology that benefits everyone."

TradeSun founder and CEO Nigel Hook said, per Bloomberg Law: "TradeSun built ASTRA from the ground up, and for more than five years we have invested in the technology, our customers and the name behind it."

#Why it matters

TradeSun asks the court to order OpenAI to remove the Astra name from all its products, along with a judgment of infringement, OpenAI's profits from the name, and unspecified damages. The case is the latest name dispute involving OpenAI in the Northern District of California: a judge barred the "cameo" name for Sora features in February 2026 (still pending), and blocked "io" device branding in April — a name OpenAI later dropped before settling with wearable tech company iyO in July.

#What TradeSun wants

TradeSun asks the court to order OpenAI to remove the Astra name from all its products, plus a judgment of infringement, OpenAI's profits from the name, and unspecified damages.

#Not OpenAI's first name fight

OpenAI began rolling out GPT-6 Astra on September 3, 2026.

Earlier trademark fights played out in the same court: in February 2026 a judge barred OpenAI from using the name "cameo" for features in its Sora video generator (that case is still pending); in April a judge blocked OpenAI from using "io" branding for AI devices — OpenAI dropped the "io" name and settled with wearable tech company iyO in July.

#Sources

Verified October 5, 2026.

Underlying reporting from Reuters and Bloomberg Law, via the fetched source: aistockwire.com – OpenAI Astra trademark lawsuit coverage