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    A movie theater chain’s plan to charge more for good seats, less for the front row, falls flat

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments1245 Views
    AMC 34th Street theater reopens after COVID-19 closures, Friday, March 5, 2021, in New York. Movie theater operator AMC has ditched plans to charge more seats with better sightlines after competitors did not follow along. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
    LEAWOOD, Kansas (AP) --

    Movie theater operator AMC has ditched plans to charge more seats with better sightlines after competitors did not follow along.

    AMC began the pilot program five months ago in three U.S. markets where it said it charged slightly more for better seats, and less for those in the front of the theater and others with inferior views.

    AMC said its competitors didn’t raise or cut prices on any of their seats based on location. The company said because it wants its pricing to remain competitive, it’s ending the pilot program in the coming weeks and there will be no attempt to roll out those changes nationwide.

    AMC also found that more than three out of every four guests who previously sat in the preferred sightline section continued to choose seats in that section, even with a slight up-charge. But it saw little to no increase in people buying front row seats that were cheaper.

    AMC first announced the pilot program in February.

    AMC, based in Leawood, Kansas, said it's now going to focus on testing more spacious seating for the front row with seats that recline at some U.S. locations later this year.

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    Tags:AMC



    OpenAI scrubs mention of Jony Ive partnership after judge’s ruling over trademark dispute

    Monday, June 23, 2025
    The OpenAI logo is seen on a mobile phone in front of a computer screen displaying output from ChatGPT, March 21, 2023, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)

    A budding partnership between OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and legendary iPhone designer Jony Ive to develop a new artificial intelligence hardware product has hit a legal snag after a federal judge ruled they must temporarily stop marketing the new venture.

    OpenAI last month announced it was buying io Products, a product and engineering company co-founded by Ive, in a deal valued at nearly $6.5 billion.

    But it quickly faced a trademark complaint from a startup with a similarly sounding name, IYO, which is also developing AI hardware that it had pitched to Altman's personal investment firm and Ive's design firm in 2022.

    U.S. District Judge Trina Thompson ruled late Friday that IYO has a strong enough trademark infringement case to proceed to a hearing in October. Until then, she ordered Altman, Ive and OpenAI to refrain from "using the IYO mark, and any mark confusingly similar thereto, including the IO mark in connection with the marketing or sale of related products."

    OpenAI responded by scrubbing its website of mentions of the new venture, including a web page of the May 21 announcement.

    In its place, the company had a message Monday that said the page "is temporarily down due to a court order" and added: "We don't agree with the complaint and are reviewing our options."

    IYO CEO Jason Rugolo applauded the ruling Monday in a written statement that said the startup will aggressively protect its brand and tech investments.

    "IYO will not roll over and let Sam and Jony trample on our rights, no matter how rich and famous they are," Rugolo said.

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