Cameo sues OpenAI for trademark infringement

OpenAI recently received significant criticism after images of celebrities and deceased public figures were used without permission. Now, the company is facing further examination of its overall practices.

This week, Chicago-based tech business Cameo sued OpenAI for trademark infringement.

Founded in 2017, Cameo lets fans request personalized videos from celebrities – often for birthdays or special messages. The company reports that its videos have been viewed over 100 million times in the last year, and customers have created more than 10 million memorable moments.

Last month, OpenAI revealed an update to its Sora tool, which creates videos from text, and introduced a feature called Cameos.

The Sora app lets users scan their faces so others can use them to create AI-generated videos and images. The launch included participation from figures like Jake Paul, a YouTube star and boxer who has also invested in OpenAI. Within just five days, the app was downloaded over a million times.

Business

Scrolling through the Sora app can feel a bit like entering a real-life multiverse.

Cameo stated in a lawsuit filed Tuesday in San Francisco that this situation has caused confusion among customers.

Cameo claims OpenAI is illegally using its trademark and directly competing with its business, potentially threatening its survival. According to the complaint, OpenAI is attracting users away from Cameo’s genuine celebrity video service by using the ‘Cameo’ trademark to promote its own AI-powered service that creates realistic fake videos of celebrities.

OpenAI stated they are looking into a recent complaint, but they don’t believe anyone can exclusively own the word “cameo.”

Hollywood Inc.

OpenAI’s Sora 2 is causing significant concern in Hollywood, with studios, agencies, and unions voicing their opposition to the technology’s development.

According to Cameo co-CEO Steve Galanis, his company attempted to work with OpenAI to address the issue, but OpenAI wouldn’t stop using the name ‘Cameo’ for their new Sora feature.

Cameo claims in its lawsuit that it owns U.S. trademarks, including one for the word ‘Cameo’ specifically used for software that lets people download personalized video messages from celebrities for fun, learning, encouragement, or as greetings.

We had to file this lawsuit to safeguard our fans, performers, and the fairness of our market, leaving us with no other choice, Galanis explained.

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2025-10-30 00:01