ByteDance has pledged to tighten controls on Seedance 2.0, its text‑to‑video artificial intelligence system, after showdown-level objections from Hollywood over alleged unauthorised use of film and television material. A company spokesperson told MARKETING‑INTERACTIVE that it "respects intellectual property (IP) rights and has heard the concerns regarding Seedance 2.0" and that "We are taking steps to strengthen current safeguards as we work to prevent the unauthorised use of intellectual property and likeness by users." According to reporting, the firm has not publicly detailed what those measures will be or disclosed the datasets used to train the model. (Sources: MARKETING‑INTERACTIVE, Associated Press)

Seedance 2.0 can produce short, hyper‑realistic clips from minimal prompts, a capability that drew widespread attention after a viral 15‑second video depicted a rooftop fight between AI‑rendered likenesses of Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. The clip, generated with a two‑sentence prompt and amplified on social platforms by industry figures, intensified concern inside Hollywood about how readily consumer tools can replicate actors, scenes and cinematic styles. (Sources: The Week, MARKETING‑INTERACTIVE)

Major studios have moved swiftly. Disney, followed by other companies, sent cease‑and‑desist notices accusing ByteDance of training Seedance on unauthorised or "pirated" material and of enabling output that reproduces protected characters and sequences. Reporting identifies differing timelines for when specific letters were sent, with Disney’s legal objection emerging in mid‑February and additional demands arriving from other studios in the days that followed. (Sources: MARKETING‑INTERACTIVE, NationalToday, Axios)

The Motion Picture Association has taken the dispute to a formal legal posture, demanding detailed disclosures from ByteDance and setting firm response deadlines. Charles Rivkin, chairman and CEO of the MPA, warned that: “By launching a service that operates without meaningful safeguards against infringement, ByteDance is disregarding well‑established copyright law that protects the rights of creators and underpins millions of American jobs.” The MPA represents the major studios, including Netflix, Paramount, Amazon MGM Studios, Sony Pictures, Universal, Warner Bros Discovery and The Walt Disney Studios. (Sources: Axios, MARKETING‑INTERACTIVE)

Unions and creators echoed the studios’ alarm. SAG‑AFTRA characterised the unauthorised use of members’ images and voices as unacceptable and damaging to performers’ livelihoods, while prominent screenwriters and directors warned the technology could upend traditional production pathways if left unchecked. Netflix and other streamers have publicly objected to Seedance outputs that they say mirror their franchises and characters. (Sources: Al Jazeera, The Week, GamesRadar)

The episode has highlighted broader gaps in industry policy and commercial arrangements for generative video. While some entertainment companies are negotiating licensing partnerships with AI developers, Disney, for example, has struck a content deal with an AI video platform, studios and rights holders are simultaneously mobilising legal remedies to protect their catalogues and talent. For now, ByteDance’s assurances of stronger safeguards stand alongside calls for greater transparency about training data and clearer legal guardrails as the technology spreads beyond China and toward any planned global roll‑out. (Sources: MARKETING‑INTERACTIVE, Associated Press, The Week)

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Source: Noah Wire Services