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Tag: CAMEO

  • U.S. court bars OpenAI from using ‘Cameo’ | TechCrunch

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    A federal district court in Northern California ruled in favor of Cameo, a platform that allows users to get personalized video messages from celebrities, and ordered OpenAI to stop using “Cameo” in its products and features.

    OpenAI was using the “Cameo” name for its AI-powered video generation app Sora 2. Users could use that feature to insert digital likenesses of themselves into AI-generated videos. In a ruling filed Saturday, the court said the name was similar enough to cause user confusion, and rejected OpenAI’s argument that “Cameo” was merely descriptive, finding that “it suggests rather than describes the feature.”

    In November, the court granted a temporary restraining order to Cameo and stopped OpenAI from using the word. The AI company then renamed the feature to “Characters” after that order.

    “We have spent nearly a decade building a brand that stands for talent-friendly interactions and genuine connection, and we like to say that ‘every Cameo is a commercial for the next one.” Cameo CEO Steven Galanis said in a statement.

    “This ruling is a critical victory not just for our company, but for the integrity of our marketplace and the thousands of creators who trust the Cameo name. We will continue to vigorously defend our intellectual property against any platform that attempts to trade on the goodwill and recognition we have worked so hard to establish,” he noted.

    “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,” an OpenAI spokesperson told Reuters in response to the ruling.

    OpenAI has been involved in several intellectual property cases in recent months. Earlier this month, the company ditched “IO” branding around its upcoming hardware products, according to court documents obtained by WIRED. In November, digital library app OverDrive sued OpenAI over its use of “Sora” for its video generation app. The company is also in legal disputes with various artists, creatives, and media groups in various geographies over copyright violations.

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    Ivan Mehta

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

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    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.

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    Amanda Silberling

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  • OpenAI can’t use the term ‘Cameo’ in Sora following temporary injunction

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    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.”

    OpenAI did not immediately respond to Engadget’s comment request.

    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.

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    Igor Bonifacic

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  • Cameo CEO: Sora 2 AI Slop Poses an ‘Existential’ Threat to Our Business

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    Could AI-generated videos of celebrities upend the creator economy’s old guard? That’s the question posed in a recent lawsuit filed by video messaging app Cameo against OpenAI—the latest legal action thrown at the AI juggernaut this year. 

    The newest version of OpenAI’s Sora 2 video-generation app includes a feature that allows users to generate synthetic video of themselves on demand. To promote the feature, celebrity likenesses, such as investor Mark Cuban and the creator Jake Paul, are already available on the app, enabling select Sora users to flood their friends’ inboxes with personalized greetings from the rich and famous. 

    For the company Cameo, Sora 2’s latest feature is particularly grating—largely because it’s also called Cameo, says Steve Galanis, CEO of the creator economy app, founded in Chicago in 2017. “I’m not concerned about competition. If that model beats our model, I don’t like to lose, but that’s okay,” Galanis tells Inc. “What we’re very specifically fighting is calling it what they did. So forget the technology, forget the business model.” 

    The complaint, filed Tuesday in a California Federal District Court, says that by using the same name for its new feature, Sora 2 poses an “imminent, existential, and potentially lethal threat” to Cameo’s business. 

    Though Sora 2’s Cameo is only in beta and available via invite to users in select markets, synthetic celebrity videos have swarmed social media since the app’s update on September 30. The wave of fake videos has ensnared Galanis’ company in the kind of confusion that’s only become more common in the age of deepfakes and online deception. He says that customer service queries for Sora 2’s Cameo that users have entered into ChatGPT serve links back to the original Cameo.

    Sora 2’s update also has social media users falsely attributing the synthetic celebrity videos to Cameo, Galanis claims. “From a customer confusion perspective, as these videos are coming out, people are tagging Cameo on TikTok and Instagram with these Sora videos.” This problem will only compound if the product is rolled globally, the Cameo chief argues. “Millions of AI slop videos coming over our search results could be existential to our business.” 

    The complaint seeks an unspecified amount of injunctive monetary relief, and alleges a variety of offenses, including trademark dilution, trademark infringement, and unfair competition. Galanis says that Cameo sent OpenAI a cease and desist letter earlier this month, but Sora’s celebrity feature was still released with the same name. 

    OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has steered his company to titanic prominence in the field as the company reportedly gears up for an IPO at a $1 trillion valuation. Altman wrote on his personal blog earlier this month on the heels of the Sora update: “We will make some good decisions and some missteps, but we will take feedback and try to fix the missteps very quickly.” 

    An OpenAI spokesperson tells Inc: “We’re reviewing the complaint, but we disagree that anyone can claim exclusive ownership over the word ‘cameo.’”

    “They’ve been a bad actor here,” Galanis says. “The genie is not going back in the bottle, these technologies are here to stay. But I do think that when they’re rolled out in a really disgusting way like that, it turns a lot of people off,” Galanis tells Inc. 

    Ironically, Galanis says he’s fed the complaint into OpenAI’s flagship product ChatGPT to assess the strength of Cameo’s case. “It’s an interesting read,” he says with a smirk. 

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    Sam Blum

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  • Elijah Wood, other celebs unwittingly used in Russia propaganda campaign – National | Globalnews.ca

    Elijah Wood, other celebs unwittingly used in Russia propaganda campaign – National | Globalnews.ca

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    Elijah Wood and a handful of other “unwitting” Hollywood actors and celebrities had videos of themselves altered as part of a Russian propaganda campaign pushing the narrative that Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy is a drug addict.

    In a Thursday report, the Microsoft Threat Analysis Center revealed that seven celebrities were caught up in the campaign, including Priscilla Presley, Mike Tyson, Breaking Bad actor Dean Norris, The Office actor Kate Flannery, Scrubs actor John McGinley and System of a Down bassist Shavo Odadjian.

    It appears the stars were solicited via Cameo — a platform where fans can purchase short videos recorded by their favourite celebrities — to film a video message for someone called “Vladimir,” pleading with him to seek help for substance abuse, the report states.

    A representative for Wood confirmed that the Lord of the Rings star was contacted via Cameo.

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    “The request was submitted through Cameo and was in no way intended to be addressed to Zelenskyy or have anything at all to do with Russia or Ukraine or the war,” the representative said.

    These innocuous Cameo videos were then taken out of context and doctored to make it seem like the celebrities were referring to Zelenskyy. The modifications included links to Zelenskyy’s social media accounts, emojis and “sometimes the logos of media outlets,” according to the report.

    Screengrabs of some of the videos shared by the Microsoft Threat Analysis Center show a TMZ logo superimposed onto Wood’s video. It also appears that some of the videos were photoshopped to make it seem like they had been posted to the celebrities’ Instagram accounts.

    Screengrabs of manipulated Cameo videos created by (L-R) actors Elijah Wood, John McGinley, Dean Norris and Kate Flannery.


    Screengrabs of manipulated Cameo videos created by (L-R) actors Elijah Wood, John McGinley, Dean Norris and Kate Flannery.

    Microsoft Threat Analysis Center

    The reports says these doctored videos were “circulated through social media channels to advance longstanding false Russian claims that the Ukrainian leader struggles with substance abuse.”

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    In Wood’s video, viewed by WIRED, the Lord of the Rings actor says, “I just want to make sure you are getting help.” The altered video included a Ukrainian flag and links to Zelenskyy’s Instagram handle as well as a drug and alcohol research centre.

    “I hope you get the help that you need. Lots of love, Vladimir, take care,” Wood says. Wired notes that the video had “several jarring cuts throughout.”

    Microsoft says the videos started appearing in late July of this year.

    Clint Watt, the general manager of the Microsoft Threat Analysis Center, told Wired that new videos would pop up in “regular intervals” throughout the summer and noted that the celebrities were all “saying a very similar script.”

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    A number of the celebrities named in the Microsoft report have come out to confirm the videos were manipulated.

    “Kate unequivocally, 100% supports Ukraine and this has been very upsetting,” said a representative for Flannery, who played Meredith in The Office.

    Presley’s representative said her video was “not intended to be addressed” to Zelenskyy, “or have anything at all to do with Russia or Ukraine or the war.”

    A representative for Tyson said the “current videos being circulated are false. Mr. Tyson has zero involvement with providing information and creating such content.”

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    Both Wood and Tyson’s Cameo pages indicate the celebrities are “temporarily unavailable” for new videos.

    NBC reports that the videos were shared widely on Russian social media, including VK and Telegram. The altered videos were also covered by state-owned Russian media outlets, Wired reports.

    Cameo has declined to comment directly on the Microsoft report or whether it was investigating the propaganda campaign. It did say that this type of tactic to trick Cameo creators violates its community guidelines.

    “In cases where such violations are substantiated Cameo will typically take steps to remove the problematic content and suspend the purchaser’s account to help prevent further issues,” a spokesperson stated.


    Click to play video: 'Celebrities warn fans not to be duped by deepfakes'


    Celebrities warn fans not to be duped by deepfakes




    &copy 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

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    Kathryn Mannie

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  • George Santos Is on Cameo, Making More than Former Salary | Entrepreneur

    George Santos Is on Cameo, Making More than Former Salary | Entrepreneur

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    It looks like disgraced former congressman George Santos has found his next job: content creator.

    And despite being expelled from his last position, the pay is even better now.

    Semafor is reporting that Santos could pass his congressional salary of $174,000 in just weeks on the app.

    RELATED: How Success Happened for Steven Galanis, Co-Founder and CEO of Cameo

    Santos’s profile bio identifies him as a “Former congressional ‘Icon’!??” and says “The Expelled member of Congress from New York City.” A video from the disgraced former politician costs $400 and has ranged from $300-$500. As of press time, there are only “19 left,” it says.

    Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., leaves the U.S. Capitol after the House voted to expel him from Congress on Friday, December 01, 2023. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc | Getty Images

    Early users could have had a bargain. When Santos first joined the platform, he was “only” charging $75 for a video. On Tuesday, Santos told Semafor he’s made 150 videos so far and was going to “crush another 60-70 tonight.”

    RELATED: ‘It’s Corn!’ This Young Entrepreneur Is Banking on Being a Viral Sensation

    The videos so far include jokes (a fake MBA) and Christmas wishes, but the most famous is Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) buying a cameo to troll indicted Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ).

    Santos is facing 23 counts in a federal indictment for fraud and other crimes.

    Cameo’s founder and CEO, Steven Galanis, told Semafor that Santos “is going to be an absolute whale,” and noted his early numbers are rivaling some top performers including Sarah Jessica Parker and Bon Jovi.

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    Entrepreneur Staff

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  • WWE And AEW Stars Dominate 2022 Cameo Earnings With Over $1 Million

    WWE And AEW Stars Dominate 2022 Cameo Earnings With Over $1 Million

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    WWE and AEW stars were in high demand on the popular Cameo app in 2022.

    Cameo allows fans to purchase customized video messages from celebrities, athletes and public figures with prices ranging from $4 to $840. Per an October 2022 study by Betting.com, pro wrestling is the top sport on Cameo according to earnings, with WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley occupying the the top spot as Cameo’s highest-earning athlete overall.

    Foley, Bret Hart (No. 4), Matt Hardy (9) and Danhausen (10) all ranked inside the Top 10 for Cameo’s highest-earning athletes. All told, pro wrestling raked in $1.251,033 in estimated total earnings, outpacing NFL, baseball, body building and football.

    Mick Foley Tops Cameo’s List of Highest Earning Wresters

    Though he’s been largely retired since 2010—his last credited match was a cameo appearance at the 2012 Royal Rumble (no pun intended)—Mick Foley’s connection to wrestling’s intensely loyal fanbase remains strong.

    Foley has never been shy about sharing intimate details of his personal life with his fans, as was the case with the transcendent autobiography Have a Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks. In 1999, the critically acclaimed bio reached No. 1 on the New York Times Best Seller List. Have a Nice Day was the catalyst for additional WWE Superstars to pen their own autobiographies during the Attitude Era. Unlike his successors, however, Have a Nice Day was written entirely by Foley himself. Foley went on to write three more books Foley is Good: And The Real World is Faker Than Wrestling, The Hardcore Diaries and Countdown to Lockdown: A Hardcore Journal.

    Foley has leveraged his lovable, approachable demeanor to strengthen his relationship with fans through additional revealing projects such as the 2017 reality show Holy Foley and WWE Network’s first stand-up comedy special 20 Years of Hell.

    The Hardcore Legend is the top star on Cameo, with almost $500,000 in total earnings according to the 2022 study. This is more than double the No. 2 wrestler Bret Hart who, similar to Foley, has remained transparent with his fanbase about every aspect of his legendary career. Prior to Foley, Hart penned his own autobiography Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling alongside Marcy Engelstein.

    Matt Hardy, Danhausen and Diamond Dallas Page, who round out the Top 5, have all successfully transcended their wrestling careers through social media in different ways. Hardy, one of the pioneers of wrestlers using social media, continues to produce content through his MATTHARDYBRAND YouTube channel, including his current podcast “The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy.”

    Danhausen is a fixture at wrestling conventions, where he has built a cult following big enough to earn him a contract with AEW. Diamond Dallas Page has built a yoga empire with DDP Yoga, all while giving back to the community by working with troubled wrestlers through the Accountability Crib. Jake “The Snake” Roberts and the late Scott Hall were two of Page’s most prominent clients.

    Wrestling is the Highest-Earning Sport on Cameo

    In addition to wrestlers making up for almost half of the Top 10 highest-earning athletes on Cameo, pro wrestling is the most requested sport on the app in almost every metric. Wrestlers have garnered over 15,000 reviews while earning close to $1.3 million in total earnings. Wrestlers also make over $35,000 in average estimated earnings, more than NFL, baseball, body building and football (soccer).

    Pro wrestling is unique in that fans follow a wrestler’s character arc in real time through a live, yearslong journey. Those who make it as top stars, let alone prominent characters, are able to develop a stronger relationship with these passionate fans as they follow their favorite stars through their evolution. This connection lasts long after they retire, and as suggested by Cameo, it only grows stronger post-retirement among wrestling’s nostalgic fanbase.

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    Alfred Konuwa, Contributor

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  • Kids With Cancer Offer Tips, Humor and Support for Surviving in the New ‘Normal’ With All Funds Raised Going to FAM

    Kids With Cancer Offer Tips, Humor and Support for Surviving in the New ‘Normal’ With All Funds Raised Going to FAM

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    Press Release
    –


    updated: Apr 7, 2020


    MIAMI, April 7, 2020 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Stressed out by the new “normal”? Need ideas for how to cope? Fighting with siblings? Bored? Need to hear a good joke? Want help pulling the perfect prank? Now a group of kids with cancer – who know exactly what it’s like to be isolated – are taking their advice, cheer and life lessons to CAMEO. And, at the same time, raising funds for FAM, whose mission is supporting families whose children are dealing with life-threatening and life-altering illnesses.

    Launched in 2019, FAM raising funds to help families with lodging costs during their children’s hospital stays, commuting to medical appointments, special gifts for the kids, assistance paying medical bills – even funerals. In fact, 100 percent of funds raised have gone straight to the cause with operational expenses covered by a benefactor. The organization is led by Milk Tyson, a former Hollywood insider, and staffed on a wholly volunteer basis by 20+ moms – each of whom know firsthand what it is like to have a child who is fighting or has lost the fight with a terminal illness. Hence the name behind the FAM acronym – Fighting All Monsters.

    “No one knows what it feels like to be isolated like kids with cancer and other diseases. Weakened immune systems and year after year of long hospital stays have given them insights that may just come in handy for those of us adapting to the lifestyle changes necessitated by this pandemic,” said Tyson.

    That’s where CAMEO™ Marketplace comes in. CAMEO is an app that lets the public book personalized videos from their favorite talent. Which in this case just happens to be childhood cancer superheroes like nine-year-old Layla Mosley, who has Ewings sarcoma and loves horses, music and rainbows; or nine-year-old, Ke’yair Christie, who has Stage 4 osteosarcoma and enjoys playing video games, building LEGOs and playing pranks; and 15-year-old Will Walker, an amputee with synovial sarcoma, who love the Chiefs, video games and making people laugh. For $25, they’ll give some life advice, tips for staying busy, make supporters giggle, or even provide some comforting words – with all proceeds going to FAM.

    “These kids are wise beyond their years and have a lot of sage advice to give. Their perspectives on life, their coping skills and their amazing humor can be especially inspiring for all of us during this crazy time,” he added. “And at the same time, those who purchase their cameos are giving them some needed moral support.”

    Tyson says they chose CAMEO because at the core of FAM’s mission is to get the kids and families involved in community-building and awareness-raising activities to give them hope and makes them feel supported. Case in point: their campaign to get Puff Daddy to dance with them on the Ellen Show. (Spoiler alert – they accomplished their goal and appeared on the show in January!)

    “What never ceases to amaze me is that no matter what these kids are faced with, they always jump at the chance to help others. That is what the latest fundraiser is all about,” he said.

    To find out more about how to support the CAMEO fundraiser and choose a FAM Cancer Warrior message, go to cameo.com/onearmwilliex8; cameo.com/layla22 or
    cameo.com/prince_keyair. For more information about FAM, go to joinourfam.org.

    For media inquiries contact: emily@joinourfam.org or 602-793-9864

    Source: FAM

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