A federal district court in the Northern District of California has issued an order prohibiting OpenAI from using the name Cameo for one of its artificial intelligence video features, finding that the use infringes the trademark rights of Cameo, the celebrity video-message platform.

Cameo operates a platform that sells personalized video messages from public figures. The company asserted that OpenAI’s use of the same name for a Sora 2 feature created a likelihood of consumer confusion and risked dilution of its brand. OpenAI had used the term Cameo for a tool that enables users to insert digital likenesses of themselves into AI-generated videos.

The court concluded that OpenAI’s use of the name was likely to cause confusion with Cameo’s existing mark. It rejected OpenAI’s argument that cameo was merely a descriptive term for a brief appearance. The court determined that, in this context, the term functions as a suggestive mark, indicating brand identity rather than serving as a generic or purely descriptive label.

The decision follows an earlier temporary restraining order that had already required OpenAI to cease using the Cameo name while the litigation proceeded. After that initial order, OpenAI rebranded the feature as Characters. Cameo continued to pursue the case to obtain a more durable form of injunctive relief.

Cameo’s leadership characterized the ruling as validation of the company’s investment in its brand and its positioning around controlled, talent-focused interactions between fans and creators. The company linked the outcome to the interests of the performers who use the platform and benefit from its name recognition.

OpenAI has indicated disagreement with the broader legal premise that a single company can effectively control commercial use of the word cameo in this space. The company has signaled that it will continue to advance its legal arguments as the dispute proceeds through subsequent stages.

This conflict adds to a series of intellectual property and branding disputes involving OpenAI. The company has recently encountered challenges related to product naming, including issues surrounding its Sora video generator and other marks, as well as ongoing litigation from authors, artists, and media organizations concerning the use of copyrighted material in training its AI models.