OpenAI must now contend with a new legal hurdle: a Northern California judge has issued a temporary restraining order forcing the company to cease using the word "Cameo" with its Sora app.
The order, written by Judge Eumi K. Lee, was filed after the celebrity video-selling platform Cameo filed a trademark lawsuit against OpenAI last month. The order will expire on Dec. 22, but the issue reflects growing tension over AI-generated media and the protection of intellectual property.
OpenAI Pushes Back on Trademark Claims
OpenAI told CNBC that they disagree with the assertion that anyone can claim exclusive ownership over the word 'cameo.' The ChatGPT maker hopes to settle the issue in court. The company has maintained that "Cameo" is a generic word and that not all Sora videos utilize this feature.
Accordingly, and rather interestingly, Sora users have been able to create videos of public figures-even those long deceased, like Michael Jackson-without invoking the Cameo feature.
Similarly, living actors like Bryan Cranston could be prompted through character names like "Walter White" without using the official Cameo designation.
Controversy Surrounding 'Cameo' in Sora
Sora was launched along with its Sora 2 video generation model on Sept. 30, letting users create AI-generated videos of people, including both celebrities and friends. Users inside the app could initiate a "Cameo" feature that would generate a video featuring a certain person.
Cameo, the video platform, uses the same term to describe customized videos purchased from celebrities. The site alerts users, "Your Cameo from [celebrity] is ready," once a video is complete."
Cameo says that OpenAI's use of the term is likely to confuse users because of the functionality and branding overlap.
Trademark Confusion Raises Legal Challenges
According to Gizmodo, Cameo calls out the fact that OpenAI's feature will confuse users, pointing to personality appearances by Mark Cuban and Jake Paul on both platforms. The word "cameo" has an independent life in the English language, but OpenAI's Sora app capitalizes it, furthering the trademark dispute.
Adding to OpenAI's legal headaches, library app OverDrive also sued OpenAI over Sora, claiming the app's icon and watermark were too similar to its own.
Currently, the Sora app still shows the term "Cameo." OpenAI has not made any public comment on whether it will immediately comply with the court order.
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