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US court bars OpenAI from using ‘Cameo’ name in AI app
Federal district court in Northern California has ruled against OpenAI in a trademark dispute with 'Cameo'
A federal district court in Northern California has ruled against OpenAI in a trademark dispute with Cameo, ordering the AI company to stop using the name “Cameo” for its AI video generation features.
The case involved OpenAI’s Sora 2 app, which allowed users to insert digital likenesses of themselves into AI-generated videos.
The court found that the name “Cameo” was likely to cause confusion among users and rejected OpenAI’s argument that the term was merely descriptive, noting instead that it “suggests rather than describes the feature.”
In November 2025, the court had previously issued a temporary restraining order preventing OpenAI from using the word, prompting the company to rename the feature to “Characters.”
Cameo CEO Steven Galanis praised the ruling, saying it protects the company’s brand and the thousands of creators who rely on its platform.
“This ruling is a critical victory not just for our company, but for the integrity of our marketplace,” he said, emphasising Cameo’s nearly decade-long investment in building recognition for its name.
OpenAI, meanwhile, disputed the claim of exclusive ownership over the term “cameo” and said it looks forward to continuing to present its case.
This legal battle is the latest in a series of intellectual property disputes for OpenAI, which recently faced challenges over its “IO” branding for hardware products and its use of the name “Sora” for its video app.
The company is also involved in other copyright-related disputes with artists, creatives, and media organisations across multiple regions.