Disney and other studios expressed concerns in February about Seedance’s AI tools generating content with copyrighted characters and celebrity likenesses without authorization. A person viewed Seedance 2.0, released by ByteDance, on a mobile phone and computer screen in Shanghai on February 13.
ByteDance and the Motion Picture Association (MPA) recently signed an agreement to reinforce copyright protections in ByteDance’s AI video and image-generation models. This move comes after the Hollywood trade group questioned the handling of intellectual property. The agreement covers ByteDance’s Seedance video and Seedream image-generation models and follows a February cease-and-desist letter sent by the MPA regarding these tools.
Disney and other studios had raised alarms in February about the potential for these AI tools to produce content featuring copyrighted characters and celebrity likenesses without approval. ByteDance has responded by integrating stronger intellectual-property protections into the latest versions of these models. These models are available through platforms like TikTok, CapCut, and Dreamina.
The MPA’s concerns centered around the possibility that Seedance could create content with copyrighted film and television characters without permission. Both parties have agreed to continue working together on establishing safeguards for copyrighted content as AI technology progresses.