OpenAI blocked from using 'Cameo' name amid trademark lawsuit

By Blake Brittain

Feb 17 (Reuters) - A federal judge in California has blocked OpenAI from using the name "Cameo" in connection with its video generation app Sora, handing celebrity video platform Cameo a preliminary win in a trademark lawsuit against the artificial intelligence giant.

U.S. District Judge Eumi Lee said in a ruling on Saturday that OpenAI's Cameo feature, which allows users to create and share their virtual likenesses on Sora, was likely to confuse consumers.

Lee granted Cameo a preliminary injunction that blocks OpenAI from using the name, finding that the company's lawsuit was likely to succeed. The judge had awarded Cameo a shorter-term restraining order against OpenAI in November.

Spokespeople for OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. Cameo CEO Steven Galanis said in a statement that the 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."

OpenAI and other AI companies have faced a barrage of intellectual property claims, chiefly in the form of copyright lawsuits from authors, news outlets and others accusing them of misusing their content to train AI systems. OpenAI also drew criticism when it used a voice resembling "Her" actress Scarlett Johansson in ads and allowed users to render images in the style of famed Japanese animation outfit Studio Ghibli without permission.

Digital library app maker OverDrive separately sued OpenAI in Ohio in November for allegedly violating its trademark rights in the "Sora" name. OpenAI has denied the allegations.

Cameo, founded in 2017, allows users to hire celebrities to appear in short, personalized videos. OpenAI's Sora, which launched as a standalone app in September, lets users create and share AI-generated videos.

Cameo said OpenAI chose the name "Cameo" for its Sora user avatars "in blatant disregard for the obvious confusion it would create." Cameo also said that Sora allows users to create short videos with celebrity "Cameos" including entrepreneur Mark Cuban and boxer and influencer Jake Paul, putting it in direct competition with Cameo's platform.

Lee agreed with Cameo that OpenAI's use of its name would likely create market confusion and cause Cameo irreparable harm without an injunction.

The case is Cameo v. OpenAI Inc, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, No. 5:25-cv-09268.

For Cameo: Jordan Raphael and Timothy Byron of Byron Raphael

For OpenAI: Sara Pollock and Margret Caruso of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan

Read more:

OpenAI sued for trademark infringement over Sora's 'Cameo' feature