OpenAI Sued Over ‘Astra’ as Software Company Says It Used the Name First

OpenAI has been sued over the name of GPT-6 Astra by a California software company that says it used the trademark years earlier and now risks looking like the copycat.

TradeSun Inc. filed the lawsuit October 5, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, claiming it has used ASTRA for artificial intelligence software since 2021 and secured a federal trademark registration in 2022. OpenAI launched GPT-6 Astra on September 3, 2026.

Since that launch, OpenAI has expanded the Astra name into specialized products, including Astra for Law, aimed at law firms and legal technology companies.

At issue is what trademark law calls “reverse confusion.” TradeSun says OpenAI’s much larger market presence could cause customers to associate Astra primarily with OpenAI, leaving the earlier user of the name looking like the imitator. The Ninth Circuit recognizes that theory in trademark cases involving a dominant later entrant.

The complaint says that risk is heightened because both companies use Astra for artificial intelligence products sold to business customers. TradeSun’s platform handles document processing, data extraction, verification, risk screening and automated workflows, areas it says overlap with OpenAI’s expanding Astra products.

Under TradeSun’s theory, customers encountering its older software could assume it is affiliated with OpenAI, built on OpenAI technology or copying the newer GPT-6 brand.

Founder and CEO Nigel Hook said TradeSun built Astra from the ground up and has invested in its technology, customers and brand for more than five years. The complaint also argues that OpenAI, which registers and enforces trademarks of its own, could have identified TradeSun’s federal registration before adopting the name.

In seeking an injunction, TradeSun is asking the court to order OpenAI to remove Astra from its products and services. The company also wants a ruling that OpenAI infringed its trademark and an award of profits allegedly tied to the challenged use.

OpenAI has rejected the allegations, saying the complaint lacks merit. The lawsuit was filed October 5 and remains at the outset of the case, with the court yet to rule on TradeSun’s infringement claims or its request to block OpenAI from using the Astra name.

Other recent trademark fights have also tested OpenAI’s product branding. Earlier in 2026, a federal judge restricted its use of “Cameo” for features in the Sora video product, while a separate dispute over the “io” name produced an injunction before the parties settled in July.

This time, the disputed name belongs to one of OpenAI’s flagship AI models. If TradeSun ultimately prevails on its request for an injunction, OpenAI could be forced to drop Astra from GPT-6 and related products.

The Northern District of California will now have to determine whether TradeSun’s earlier trademark rights and the overlap between the companies’ AI products support its infringement claims.