ByteDance backpedals after Seedance 2.0 turned Hollywood icons into AI “clip art”

In response to significant backlash from Hollywood, ByteDance is urgently implementing measures to prevent its AI video tool, Seedance 2.0, from producing unauthorized content featuring famous characters and celebrities. The move comes after major studios, including Disney and Paramount Skydance, sent cease-and-desist letters to the Chinese tech giant, demanding an immediate halt to what they describe as blatant copyright infringements. The studios highlighted a rapid and widespread misuse of their intellectual property, noting that users of Seedance 2.0 on social media have shared AI-generated videos that prominently feature copyrighted characters such as Spider-Man, Darth Vader, and SpongeBob SquarePants. Disney expressed its outrage in a letter, accusing ByteDance of treating its beloved characters as if they were mere public domain clip art. The letter labeled ByteDance's actions as a "smash-and-grab" of Disney's intellectual property, which it deemed willful and unacceptable. Paramount Skydance also voiced its concerns, stating that the outputs generated by Seedance are often indistinguishable from the original characters, both visually and audibly. In Japan, the situation has prompted a government investigation led by AI Minister Kimi Onoda, who is keen to protect popular anime and manga characters from similar violations. Onoda emphasized the importance of respecting copyright laws, stating, "We cannot overlook a situation in which content is being used without the copyright holder’s permission." Faced with mounting legal threats and scrutiny from Japan, ByteDance released a statement acknowledging the concerns raised about Seedance 2.0. The company asserted its commitment to respecting intellectual property rights and announced that it is taking steps to enhance safeguards against unauthorized use of characters and likenesses. Despite these assurances, Disney remains skeptical, claiming that ByteDance's failure to implement adequate protections prior to the tool's launch has resulted in significant infringement on its copyrighted materials for commercial gain without permission.