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SAN FRANCISCO (CN) — Cameo, a platform that lets users pay for personalized videos from celebrities, sued OpenAI Tuesday, claiming that OpenAI’s new video creation app Sora infringes on its copyright.
Cameo claims OpenAI’s new “cameo” service offered on the Sora video app, which allows users to create personalized, AI-generated videos, creates confusion and damages the Cameo brand.
“OpenAI has knowingly co-opted a well-established, federally registered trademark — ignoring legal precedent, the clear risk of consumer confusion, and the irreparable harm that will be inflicted on plaintiff’s CAMEO trademark rights and brand,” the company said in its complaint filed in the Northern District of California.
Created in 2017, Cameo allows users to purchase personalized videos from public figures and celebrities. On Sept. 30, artificial intelligence company OpenAI announced a new version of Sora that allows users to create personalized videos with a virtual likeness of themselves and others called “cameos.”
Since the service launched, celebrities, including “Shark Tank” star Mark Cuban, have announced that their “Cameos are open” on Sora.
Cameo argues OpenAI is using Cameo’s trademark to directly compete with Cameo.
“Users seeking a personalized celebrity video now have a choice — use plaintiff’s CAMEO® service to book talent and receive an authentic, custom video prepared by that celebrity, or use Sora’s ‘cameo’ service to create an extremely realistic AI-generated video featuring a celebrity’s likeness,” Cameo said in its complaint.
Cameo asked the court to block OpenAI from using the words “cameo” or “cameos” and award Cameo with an unstated amount of damages.
In a statement to Courthouse News, Cameo CEO and co-founder Steven Galanis said the company attempted to resolve the issue with OpenAI “amicably,” but it “refused” to stop using the name “cameo” for the Sora feature.
“To protect fans, talent, and the integrity of our marketplace, we felt that we unfortunately had no other option but to bring this lawsuit,” he said.
An OpenAI spokesperson told Courthouse News that they were reviewing the complaint but “disagree that anyone can claim exclusive ownership over the word ‘cameo.’”
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