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OpenAI may lose the name “Sora”

OpenAI may lose the name “Sora”

OpenAI's "Sora" model has revolutionized the world of artificial intelligence by generating hyperrealistic video based on simple text prompts. While most of the discussion surrounding AI focuses on copyright and whose training data was used, OpenAI now has a much more fundamental problem. It turns out that the company may have applied for the rights to the name "Sora" too late, and the battle for this trademark has already begun. And interestingly, OpenAI is not necessarily in a winning position.

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First come, first served

The OpenAI problem became apparent on October 13, 2025, when OverDrive Inc. formally opposed OpenAI's application to register the "Sora" trademark. This action puts the entire registration process on hold. It turned out that OpenAI filed its application only on February 14, 2024. Meanwhile, OverDrive Inc. has not only n using the name "Sora" since August 2018, but, more importantly, it already has a registered trademark for "Sora" in the United States, dating back to December 2020.

What is "Sora" number one?

So, who is the AI giant's rival? OverDrive Inc. is a leading distributor of digital content, such as e-books, audiobooks, and online magazines. Their platform, called "Sora," is a very popular system that allows students in schools (mainly in the K-12 system) to borrow digital books and educational materials. Therefore, it is a well-established service that has n on the market long before OpenAI unveiled its video generator.

Shelf app error

The entire dispute boils down to a key issue in trademark law: is there a "likelihood of confusion"? In other words, could the average consumer mistake the two services for each other or think they come from the same company? At first glance, they seem completely different – a video generator versus a school e-book library. However, delving into the details of the registration applications reveals why OpenAI could be in serious trouble.

The devil is in the classification

The biggest problem lies in the so-called classification of goods. Both companies registered their trademarks in very similar categories. OverDrive's application for their "Sora" describes it as: "A mobile application for download providing schools and teachers with access to digital content for students..." Meanwhile, OpenAI's application describes their "Sora" as: "Computer programs for download and computer software for download used for generating videos and images..." The problem is that, according to the law, both services are "downloadable software" offering "digital content," and OverDrive has documentation to support this for years. If OpenAI loses this dispute, it may be forced to undertake a very costly rebranding of its flagship model.

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The problem is that, legally speaking, both services are considered “downloadable software” offering “digital content,” and OverDrive has had the necessary documentation for years.

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