ByteDance has pledged to strengthen safeguards on its AI video generator Seedance 2.0 after facing threats of legal action from major US studios, including Disney, over alleged intellectual property violations. The move highlights mounting legal scrutiny over the use of copyrighted content in generative AI systems.
Seedance 2.0, launched last week, has gained rapid traction in China, with AI-generated videos going viral online, including clips depicting public figures such as Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. The model has drawn comparisons with DeepSeek and has been praised for producing cinematic storylines from minimal prompts. However, its capabilities have also prompted concern among rights holders.
According to a source familiar with the matter, Disney sent a cease-and-desist letter to ByteDance accusing the company of using Disney characters without permission to train and power the tool. The letter alleged that Seedance had been pre-packaged with a pirated library of copyrighted characters from franchises including Star Wars and Marvel, presenting them as if they were public-domain material. It further claimed the system was reproducing, distributing and creating derivative works featuring characters such as Spider-Man and Darth Vader.
ByteDance said it is taking steps to strengthen existing safeguards to prevent the unauthorised use of intellectual property and likeness by users, although it did not specify the measures being implemented. Paramount Skydance has also reportedly issued a cease-and-desist letter accusing the company of blatant infringement. The dispute follows similar action by Disney against Character.AI and comes after Disney signed a licensing agreement in December allowing OpenAI to use characters from Star Wars, Pixar and Marvel in its Sora video generator. The unfolding legal challenges underscore the intensifying battle between AI developers and rights holders over training data and content control.
