A federal district court in Northern California issued a ruling against OpenAI regarding its use of the name “Cameo.” The court mandated that OpenAI cease using “Cameo” in its products and features.
OpenAI had applied the name “Cameo” to a feature within its AI-powered video generation application, Sora 2. This feature enabled users to integrate digital likenesses of themselves into AI-generated videos. The court determined that the name created sufficient user confusion and rejected OpenAI’s assertion that “Cameo” was merely descriptive, concluding that it suggested a feature rather than explicitly describing it.
In November, the court had previously granted a temporary restraining order to Cameo, prohibiting OpenAI from using the term. Following this order, OpenAI renamed the feature to “Characters.”
Steven Galanis, CEO of Cameo, stated that his company has developed its brand over nearly a decade, emphasizing talent-friendly interactions and genuine connection. He described the ruling as a critical victory for the company, its marketplace, and the creators who rely on the Cameo name. Galanis indicated that Cameo will continue to defend its intellectual property against any platform attempting to leverage its established goodwill and recognition.
An OpenAI spokesperson informed Reuters that the company disagrees with the complaint’s assertion regarding exclusive ownership of the word “cameo” and intends to continue presenting its case.
OpenAI has been involved in multiple intellectual property cases. Recently, the company abandoned “IO” branding for its forthcoming hardware products, as indicated in court documents. In November, the digital library application OverDrive initiated a lawsuit against OpenAI concerning the use of “Sora” for its video generation application. OpenAI is also engaged in legal disputes with various artists, creatives, and media organizations across different regions regarding alleged copyright violations.
