OpenAI learned the hard way that Cameo trademarked the word ‘cameo’

OpenAI’s social app Sora launched with a controversial feature called Cameo, allowing users to deepfake themselves or others (with permission). The feature had a tenuous rollout — Martin Luther King Jr.’s estate had to get involved, to give you an idea of what went on — but now it faces a new challenge.

Apparently, Cameo — the app where you buy custom video messages from celebrities — can claim the trademark of the word “cameo.”

U.S. District Judge Eumi K. Lee imposed a temporary restraining order that blocks OpenAI from using the word “cameo,” as well as any similar-sounding words or phrases, on Sora.

The temporary restraining order issued on November 21, 2025 is set to expire on December 22, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. A hearing on the matter is scheduled for December 19, 2025, at 11:00 a.m.

As of Monday afternoon, the Sora app still uses the “cameo” language, however.

“We are gratified by the court’s decision, which recognizes the need to protect consumers from the confusion that OpenAI has created by using the Cameo trademark,” Cameo CEO Steven Galanis said in a statement. “While the court’s order is temporary, we hope that OpenAI will agree to stop using our mark permanently to avoid any further harm to the public or Cameo.”

OpenAI disagrees with the assertion that the company can claim exclusive ownership over the word “cameo,” the company told CNBC.