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ByteDance halts AI app Seedance as Disney threatens legal action
ByteDance has pledged to tighten controls on its AI video-making app Seedance
Chinese tech giant ByteDance has pledged to tighten controls on its AI video-making app Seedance after Disney and other entertainment companies raised legal concerns over copyright infringement.
Recently, videos generated by Seedance 2.0 have gone viral for their realism, including clips featuring characters from Marvel, Star Wars, and popular cartoons.
Disney sent a cease-and-desist letter accusing ByteDance of supplying the app with a “pirated library” of copyrighted material and engaging in a “virtual smash-and-grab” of its intellectual property.
In response, ByteDance said it “respects intellectual property rights” and is implementing safeguards to prevent unauthorised use of copyrighted characters and likenesses.
The company previously paused the ability for users to upload images of real people but has not detailed the specific measures for Seedance.
The AI platform has also drawn criticism from the Motion Picture Association, representing major studios including Warner Bros.
Discovery, Paramount, and Netflix, as well as the actors’ union SAG-AFTRA, which called the platform’s activity “blatant infringement.”
Japanese authorities are investigating ByteDance following AI-generated videos featuring popular anime characters.
This legal scrutiny follows other high-profile cases against AI image generators, including Disney and NBCUniversal’s lawsuit against Midjourney last year, which alleges repeated unauthorized copying of copyrighted works.
As AI video tools become more sophisticated, concerns over copyright and intellectual property continue to intensify, with major studios demanding stricter enforcement and safeguards.