ByteDance to curb AI video app after Disney legal threat
Source: BBC Technology
ByteDance has pledged to curb its controversial artificial‑intelligence video‑making tool after Disney threatened legal action and other entertainment companies raised concerns.
Disney’s Legal Threat
Disney sent a cease‑and‑desist letter to ByteDance, accusing the company of supplying its Seedance app with a “pirated library” of the studio’s copyrighted characters, including those from Marvel, Star Wars and various cartoons. Disney’s lawyers described the alleged activity as a “virtual smash‑and‑grab” of intellectual property.
ByteDance’s Response
ByteDance told the BBC that it “respects intellectual property rights” and that it has heard concerns regarding Seedance 2.0. The company said:
“We are taking steps to strengthen current safeguards as we work to prevent the unauthorised use of intellectual property and likeness by users.”
ByteDance declined to provide details about the specific safeguards it plans to implement.
Seedance AI Video Tool
Seedance can generate videos from short text prompts. Since the launch of version 2.0 on 12 February, many clips have gone viral, often featuring real actors and well‑known characters.
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A Reddit post shows an AI‑generated scene of Anakin Skywalker and Rey battling with lightsabres.
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The BBC found clips of Spider‑Man fighting Captain America on the streets of New York.
ByteDance has not disclosed the data used to train Seedance. The company previously announced that it had paused the ability for users to upload images of real people and reiterated its commitment to respecting intellectual‑property rights.
Industry and Government Reactions
- The Motion Picture Association (MPA), representing major U.S. studios, demanded that Seedance “immediately cease its infringing activity.”
- SAG‑Aftra accused Seedance of “blatant infringement.”
- The Japanese government launched an investigation into ByteDance over potential copyright violations after AI‑generated videos of popular Japanese anime characters appeared online.
Previous Legal Actions Against AI Tools
- Last year, Disney and NBCUniversal sued AI image generator Midjourney, alleging the platform produced “endless unauthorised copies” of the studios’ copyrighted works. The case remains ongoing.
Read more on the BBC - Disney has also asked Google to restrict the generation of its characters on Google’s AI platforms.