OpenAI barred from using 'Cameo' in Sora
OpenAI just got hit with a temporary restraining order blocking it from using the word "cameo" inside its Sora app. Celebrity video platform Cameo claimed trademark infringement over Sora’s likeness-swapping feature, and a federal judge agreed to pause OpenAI's usage through December 22. OpenAI is pushing back, arguing no single company can exclusively own the everyday term.
OpenAI just learned that common words in Hollywood can still belong to someone else in the App Store.
When OpenAI launched its video app Sora, it included a feature called Cameo that lets users create deepfakes of themselves or others with permission. But Cameo, the platform famous for personalized celebrity shoutouts, pushed back hard with a trademark claim.
A temporary ban on the word 'cameo'
U.S. District Judge Eumi K. Lee issued a temporary restraining order on November 21, 2025, barring OpenAI from using the word "cameo" or any similar-sounding phrasing inside Sora.
The order expires on December 22, 2025, with a formal court hearing set for December 19.
Cameo CEO Steven Galanis welcomed the decision, arguing it prevents consumer confusion caused by OpenAI. OpenAI, meanwhile, told CNBC that it disagrees that Cameo can claim exclusive ownership over the everyday word. As of Monday afternoon, Sora was still showing the term in the app.
Why it matters
This dispute might seem like petty corporate naming drama, but we think it exposes a recurring blind spot for fast-moving AI labs. OpenAI treated "cameo" as an ordinary noun describing a brief appearance, yet ignored that another tech platform had built an entire brand around it for years.
Renaming the button won't hurt Sora's actual capabilities, but it looks like another unnecessary legal distraction for OpenAI at a time when its video app is already drawing heavy scrutiny over permissions and likeness rights.
Sources (1)
- techcrunch.com(opens in a new tab)Originaltechcrunch.com