A federal district court in Northern California has ruled in favor of Cameo, the platform known for personalized celebrity video messages, and ordered OpenAI to cease using the name “Cameo” in its products. OpenAI had been using the “Cameo” name for a feature within its AI video generation app, Sora, which allowed users to insert digital likenesses of themselves into AI-generated videos.
In a ruling filed on Saturday, the court determined the name was sufficiently similar to cause confusion among users. It rejected OpenAI’s defense that “Cameo” was merely a descriptive term, finding instead that it suggests the nature of the feature rather than plainly describing it.
This follows a temporary restraining order granted to Cameo in November, which initially halted OpenAI’s use of the word. Following that order, OpenAI renamed the feature to “Characters.”
Cameo CEO Steven Galanis celebrated the ruling in a statement, emphasizing the company’s long-term investment in its brand. “We have spent nearly a decade building a brand that stands for talent-friendly interactions and genuine connection,” Galanis said. “This ruling is a critical victory not just for our company, but for the integrity of our marketplace and the thousands of creators who trust the Cameo name. We will continue to vigorously defend our intellectual property.”
In response to the decision, an OpenAI spokesperson expressed disagreement, stating, “We disagree with the complaint’s assertion that anyone can claim exclusive ownership over the word ‘cameo,’ and we look forward to continuing to make our case.”
This trademark dispute is one of several intellectual property cases involving OpenAI. Earlier this month, the company reportedly abandoned “IO” branding for its upcoming hardware products. In November, digital library app OverDrive sued OpenAI over its use of the name “Sora” for its video generation app. OpenAI is also engaged in various legal disputes with artists, creatives, and media groups in multiple countries over allegations of copyright violations.