OpenAI learned the hard way that Cameo trademarked the word ‘cameo’

In Brief

OpenAI’s societal app Sora launched with a arguable diagnostic called Cameo, allowing users to deepfake themselves oregon others (with permission). The diagnostic had a tenuous rollout — Martin Luther King Jr.’s estate had to get involved, to springiness you an thought of what went connected — but present it faces a caller challenge.

Apparently, Cameo — the app wherever you bargain customized video messages from celebrities — tin claim the trademark of the connection ‘cameo.’

U.S. District Judge Eumi K. Lee imposed a impermanent restraining order that blocks OpenAI from utilizing the connection “cameo,” arsenic good arsenic immoderate similar-sounding words oregon phrases, connected Sora.

The impermanent restraining bid issued connected November 21, 2025 is acceptable to expire connected December 22, 2025, astatine 5:00 p.m. A proceeding connected the substance is scheduled for December 19, 2025, astatine 11:00 a.m.

As of Monday afternoon, the Sora app inactive uses the “cameo” language, however.

“We are gratified by the court’s decision, which recognizes the request to support consumers from the disorder that OpenAI has created by utilizing the Cameo trademark,” Cameo CEO Steven Galanis said successful a statement. “While the court’s bid is temporary, we anticipation that OpenAI volition hold to halt utilizing our people permanently to debar immoderate further harm to the nationalist oregon Cameo.”

OpenAI disagrees with the assertion that the institution tin assertion exclusive ownership implicit the connection “cameo,” the institution told CNBC.

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