A federal district court in Northern California has ruled against OpenAI, ordering the AI company to stop using the name 'Cameo' for its video generation feature. The court found that Cameo's trademark was sufficiently similar to cause user confusion, rejecting OpenAI's argument that the term was merely descriptive.

Cameo, a platform connecting users with celebrity video messages, had filed suit after OpenAI began using the name for its Sora 2 feature, which allowed users to insert digital likenesses into AI-generated videos. The court had previously granted a temporary restraining order in November, prompting OpenAI to rename the feature to 'Characters.' Cameo CEO Steven Galanis called the ruling a 'critical victory' for protecting the company's decade-long brand building.

This marks another intellectual property challenge for OpenAI, which has faced multiple lawsuits over naming and copyright issues. The company recently abandoned its 'IO' branding for hardware products and is currently in legal disputes with artists, creatives, and media groups over copyright violations. An OpenAI spokesperson stated they 'disagree with the complaint's assertion that anyone can claim exclusive ownership over the word 'cameo,' and look forward to continuing to make their case.'