OpenAI’s new social app Sora launched with a controversial feature called Cameo, which allows users to create deepfakes of themselves or others with their permission. The feature had a difficult rollout, which involved the estate of Martin Luther King Jr. and highlighted the potential for misuse. The app now faces a new challenge from the company Cameo, the platform where you buy custom video messages from celebrities, which claims the trademark for the word ‘cameo’.
A U.S. District Judge, Eumi K. Lee, has imposed a temporary restraining order that blocks OpenAI from using the word “cameo,” or any similar-sounding words or phrases, on the Sora app. This order was issued on November 21, 2025 and is set to expire on December 22, 2025. A hearing on the matter is scheduled for December 19, 2025. Despite the order, the Sora app was still using the “cameo” language as of Monday afternoon.
Cameo CEO Steven Galanis stated that the company is gratified by the court’s decision, which they believe protects consumers from confusion. They expressed hope that OpenAI would stop using the mark permanently to avoid further harm. OpenAI, however, disagrees with the assertion that Cameo can claim exclusive ownership over the word “cameo.”