Chinese technology firm ByteDance has launched a new AI video generation tool named Seedance 2.0, which has quickly drawn criticism from major entertainment industry players, notably The Walt Disney Company. Just one day after its release on March 2024, Disney issued a cease and desist letter to ByteDance, alleging that the company had unlawfully used its intellectual property to train the AI model.
In the letter, Disney’s outside counsel, David Singer, accused ByteDance of “hijacking” Disney’s characters by reproducing, distributing, and creating derivative works featuring them. He described the situation as a “virtual smash-and-grab” of Disney’s intellectual property, asserting that the actions were “willful, pervasive, and totally unacceptable.” Singer warned that this could be just the beginning, given that Seedance has only been publicly available for a short time.
The backlash against Seedance 2.0 is not limited to Disney. The Motion Picture Association (MPA), which represents prominent U.S. studios such as Netflix, Paramount Pictures, and Warner Bros. Discovery, has also criticized the tool. MPA chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin stated that Seedance 2.0 has engaged in “unauthorized use of U.S. copyrighted works on a massive scale.” He emphasized that ByteDance is disregarding established copyright law, which protects the rights of creators and supports millions of jobs in the United States.
Rivkin urged ByteDance to “immediately cease its infringing activity,” reflecting a growing concern within the industry regarding the balance between innovation and copyright protection. The Human Artistry Campaign, representing groups like SAG-AFTRA and the Directors Guild of America, echoed these sentiments, calling for authorities to use every legal tool available to address what they termed as “wholesale theft” of creative works.
Seedance 2.0 has gained attention for its ability to quickly generate realistic video clips based on simple text prompts. Examples that circulated on social media include a mock fight between actors Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, as well as whimsical clips featuring Will Smith battling a spaghetti monster. Other generated content featured characters from popular shows like Friends and Seinfeld, reimagined in humorous scenarios.
In response to the backlash, ByteDance announced that it had suspended the ability for users to upload images of real people to Seedance 2.0. The company emphasized that it respects intellectual property rights and takes potential infringements seriously. ByteDance stated that the content generated was part of a limited pre-launch testing phase and that it is committed to implementing robust measures to mitigate risks related to copyright infringement.
The legal and ethical implications of AI-generated content are becoming increasingly significant as technology continues to evolve. As the debate over the balance between innovation and intellectual property rights intensifies, industry stakeholders are keenly watching how this situation unfolds. With major players like Disney and the MPA taking a firm stance, the future of AI tools like Seedance 2.0 could hinge on the outcome of these legal challenges.
