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

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Illustration shows OpenAI and Sora logos

OpenAI and Sora logos are seen in this illustration taken October 21, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

Oct 28 (Reuters) - The maker of celebrity video platform Cameo sued OpenAI in a California federal court on Tuesday, arguing that the new "Cameo" feature of OpenAI's Sora video generation app violates its trademark rights.

Cameo

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that OpenAI's Cameo, which allows users to create and share their virtual likenesses on Sora, is likely to cause consumer confusion and dilute its brand.

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An OpenAI spokesperson said the company is reviewing the complaint but "disagree[s] that anyone can claim exclusive ownership over the word 'cameo.'"

Cameo CEO Steven Galanis said in a statement that the company had tried to resolve the dispute "amicably" but OpenAI refused to stop using the Cameo name.

Cameo, founded in 2017, allows users to hire celebrities to appear in short, personalized videos. Artificial intelligence giant OpenAI's Sora, launched as a standalone app on September 30, lets users create and share AI-generated videos.

OpenAI calls Sora users' likenesses on the app "Cameos." Cameo said OpenAI chose the name "in blatant disregard for the obvious confusion it would create."

Cameo also said that Sora allows users to create videos with celebrity "Cameos" including entrepreneur Mark Cuban and boxer and influencer Jake Paul, putting the AI giant in direct competition with Cameo's platform.

"Users seeking a personalized celebrity video now have a choice - use Plaintiff's CAMEO service to book talent and receive an authentic, custom video prepared by that celebrity, or use Sora’s 'Cameo' service to create an extremely realistic AI-generated video featuring a celebrity’s likeness," the lawsuit said.

Cameo requested an unspecified amount of monetary damages and a court order blocking OpenAI from using the "Cameo" name.

Reporting by Blake Brittain in Washington; Editing by Sam Holmes and Christopher Cushing

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Blake Brittain reports on intellectual property law, including patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets, for Reuters Legal. He has previously written for Bloomberg Law and Thomson Reuters Practical Law and practiced as an attorney.

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