ByteDance is swiftly working to add protective measures to its AI video tool Seedance 2.0 in response to significant backlash from Hollywood. The latest version, accused of generating iconic characters and deepfaking celebrities, has prompted legal warnings from studios like Disney and Paramount Skydance.
The updates are in reaction to cease-and-desist letters sent by Disney and Paramount Skydance, demanding the immediate cessation of what they argue is extensive and obvious copyright infringement. Users of Seedance 2.0 have been widely sharing AI-generated videos featuring copyrighted personalities such as Spider-Man, Darth Vader, and SpongeBob Square Pants.
Disney's letter criticized the use as 'hijacking' its characters, accusing ByteDance of regarding them as 'free public domain clip art,' reported Axios. The company condemned ByteDance's actions as 'willful, pervasive, and totally unacceptable.' Paramount Skydance voiced similar concerns, noting that output from Seedance was 'often indistinguishable' from the original works.
Japan's AI minister Kimi Onoda has launched an official investigation into ByteDance over these copyright violations, aiming to shield anime and manga characters. 'We cannot overlook a situation in which content is being used without the copyright holder’s permission,' Onoda stated at a press conference.
Amid the mounting legal pressure and Japan's inquiry, ByteDance released a statement via CNBC, asserting its commitment to intellectual property rights and acknowledging concerns over Seedance 2.0. The company is committed to enhancing its safeguards to prevent unauthorized use of intellectual property and likenesses.
Despite these assurances, Disney remains skeptical of ByteDance’s initial oversight in releasing the tool without adequate protections. Disney's correspondence asserts that 'Seedance has infringed on Disney’s copyrighted materials to benefit its commercial service without permission.'