Cameo, the app that allows people to buy short videos from celebrities, has won an important victory in its legal battle against OpenAI. On Monday, a federal judge granted the company a temporary restraining order against OpenAI, CNBC reports. Until December 22, the startup is not allowed to use the word “cameo” in relation to any features inside of Sora, its TikTok-like app for creating AI-generated videos. The order covers similar words like “Kameo” and “CameoVideo.”
“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 told CNBC. “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.”
An OpenAI spokesperson told Engadget: “We disagree with the complaint’s assertion that anyone can claim exclusive ownership over the word ‘cameo’, and we look forward to continuing to make our case to the court.”
Cameo sued OpenAI in October, claiming the company’s use of the term was likely to confuse consumers and dilute its brand. Before filing the suit, Galanis said Cameo tried to resolve the dispute “amicably,” but claims OpenAI refused to stop using the name. Sora’s cameo feature allows users to upload their likeness to the app, which other people can then use in their own videos. US District Judge Eumi K. Lee, who granted Cameo the temporary junction, has scheduled a hearing for December 19 to determine if the order should be made permanent.
Update, November 24, 7:25PM ET: This article was updated after publish to include comment from an OpenAI spokesperson.