ByteDance vows action over AI tool after Disney legal threat
ByteDance has promised stronger protections on its viral AI video app Seedance after Disney accused it of using copyrighted characters without permission.
Chinese technology giant ByteDance has pledged to tighten safeguards on its controversial AI video tool, Seedance, following legal threats from Disney and complaints from other Hollywood studios.
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The latest version of the app, Seedance 2.0, has gone viral in recent days for producing highly realistic video clips based on short text prompts.
However, major studios claim some of the AI-generated content features copyrighted characters without permission.
Disney has issued a cease-and-desist letter accusing ByteDance of using a “pirated library” of its intellectual property, including characters from Marvel and Star Wars.
The studio’s lawyers described the alleged infringement as a “virtual smash-and-grab”.
In response, ByteDance said it “respects intellectual property rights” and is taking steps to strengthen safeguards to prevent the unauthorised use of copyrighted material.
The company has not disclosed what data is used to train Seedance.
The row highlights growing tensions between AI developers and the entertainment industry, as studios and unions warn that generative AI tools could infringe copyright and threaten creative jobs.