A federal district court in Northern California has ruled in favor of Cameo, the platform known for personalized celebrity video messages. The court ordered OpenAI to cease using the name “Cameo” in its products and features. OpenAI had been using the name for its AI-powered video-generation tool within Sora, a feature that let users 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 the name suggests the feature’s purpose 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 stated that the company has spent nearly a decade building a brand associated with genuine, talent-friendly connections. He called the ruling a critical victory for the company, the integrity of its marketplace, and the thousands of creators who trust the Cameo name. Galanis affirmed the company’s commitment to vigorously defending its intellectual property against any platform attempting to trade on its established goodwill.
In response to the ruling, an OpenAI spokesperson expressed disagreement with the complaint’s assertion that exclusive ownership can be claimed over the word “cameo,” and indicated the company looks forward to continuing to make its case.
This legal dispute is part of a series of 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 regions over allegations of copyright violations.