OpenAI has been temporarily blocked from using the word “Cameo” in a product that allows people to generate videos based on prompts amid a trademark dispute.
Last year, the celebrity video platform Cameo sued OpenAI, alleging that the San Francisco company infringed its trademark. People use Cameo to purchase personalized videos of celebrities as gifts for their friends or loved ones.
Cameo filed the lawsuit after OpenAI introduced a new video feature called “Cameo” that lets people, including celebrities, “create a virtual likeness of themselves.”
In an early win for Cameo, a federal judge in California granted the company’s motion for a preliminary injunction, blocking OpenAI’s use of the name, according to an order filed over the weekend.
The ruling by judge Eumi Kim Lee signals that Cameo is likely to prove that OpenAI infringed on its trademark.
“We have spent nearly a decade building a brand that stands for talent-friendly interactions and genuine connection,” said Cameo co-founder and Chief Executive Steven Galanis. “This ruling is a critical victory not just for our company, but for the integrity of our marketplace and the thousands of talent who trust the Cameo name.”
OpenAI has pushed back against Cameo’s allegations.
“We disagree with the complaint’s assertion that anyone can claim exclusive ownership over the word ‘cameo’, and we look forward to continuing to make our case,” a company spokesperson said in a statement.
The legal battle highlights how artificial intelligence is reshaping the videos of celebrities and high-profile creators, underscoring the backlash against AI-generated content.
Cameo, headquartered in Chicago, raised concerns in its lawsuit that OpenAI’s use of its name will confuse consumers into thinking that OpenAI’s video feature is associated with the celebrity video platform.
That would harm Cameo because the company’s brand would be tied to “AI slop and deepfakes featuring celebrities” when its videos are of real people, according to the order.
Cameo also alleges that OpenAI adopted its marketing strategy by tapping celebrities such as Jake Paul, Mark Cuban, Ricky Berwick and Snoop Dogg to promote its video generator Sora and its new feature. These stars allow users of OpenAI’s Sora to create AI videos featuring the celebrities.
Since Cameo and OpenAI’s videos have included the same celebrities, “the two products may be indistinguishable to the consuming public,” the order stated.
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