ByteDance pledges IP controls on AI video tool after Disney warning
ByteDance said it will strengthen protections against the unauthorized use of intellectual property on its new AI video generator, Seedance 2.0, after facing legal threats from major US studios, including The Walt Disney Company.
Seedance 2.0, launched last week, quickly gained attention in China as AI-generated videos went viral on social media — including a clip depicting Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in a fight scene. The model has drawn comparisons to DeepSeek and has been widely praised for its ability to create cinematic narratives from minimal user prompts, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
According to a source familiar with the matter, Disney sent a cease-and-desist letter to ByteDance late Sunday, alleging that the Chinese company used Disney-owned characters to train and power Seedance 2.0 without authorization. The letter reportedly claims that Seedance was packaged with a pirated library of copyrighted characters from franchises such as Star Wars and Marvel, presenting them as though they were public-domain content.
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The complaint further alleges that the AI tool has reproduced, distributed, and created derivative works featuring characters including Spider-Man and Darth Vader.
In response, ByteDance said in a statement: “We are taking steps to strengthen current safeguards as we work to prevent the unauthorized use of intellectual property and likeness by users.” The company did not provide specific details about the measures being implemented.
Online outlet Axios first reported Disney’s action. Meanwhile, Paramount Skydance has also reportedly sent a cease-and-desist letter accusing ByteDance of “blatant infringement” of its intellectual property, according to Variety.
Disney has pursued similar legal measures in the AI space before. The company previously demanded that startup Character.AI immediately halt the unauthorized use of its copyrighted characters.
In December, Disney reached a licensing agreement with OpenAI, allowing the company to incorporate characters from the Star Wars, Pixar, and Marvel franchises into its Sora video-generation tool.
The dispute underscores intensifying tensions between major entertainment studios and AI developers over the use of copyrighted material in training and deploying generative models.
By Nijat Babayev
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