Disney Issues Cease and Desist to ByteDance Over Seedance 2.0 AI

ByteDance’s recent AI model, Seedance 2.0, has stirred significant controversy by attracting a cease-and-desist letter from Disney. This legal warning stems from accusations that the Seedance 2.0 AI employs a pirated library of Disney’s cherished characters, including figures from the Star Wars and Marvel franchises.

Overview of Seedance 2.0

Seedance 2.0 has gained popularity for its ability to create various entertaining video formats. Users have particularly enjoyed its features for generating fake advertisements and brief action movie parodies. Characters like Harry Potter and RoboCop can easily replace the iconic John Wick in these short clips.

Cease-and-Desist from Disney

The cease-and-desist letter, reported by Axios, claims that Seedance 2.0 is “hijacking Disney’s characters” by reproducing and distributing derivative works. Disney’s attorney, David Singer, has emphasized that ByteDance’s actions are “willful, pervasive, and totally unacceptable.”

• Characters mentioned in the letter include:
• Baby Yoda
• Peter Griffin
• Spider-Man
• Darth Vader

Disney’s partnership with OpenAI was established two months prior and revolves around integrating Disney characters into Sora, OpenAI’s AI model. This partnership allows users to generate videos featuring over 200 characters from Disney franchises.

Legal Context and Industry Trends

The current legal dispute highlights a broader trend where companies are beginning to scrutinize AI-generated content that utilizes their intellectual property. For example, Universal Music Group settled a lawsuit with the AI generator Udio last year, paving the way for a music-generation partnership. Similarly, Warner Music Group has engaged in agreements under parallel circumstances.

The future of content creation and AI partnerships remains uncertain, especially as copyright holders seek greater control over their intellectual properties. Whether ByteDance will develop a similar agreement to license content from Disney remains to be seen.

Conclusion

As the legal landscape surrounding AI and intellectual property evolves, companies like Disney are taking a strong stance to protect their assets. Seedance 2.0’s rise in popularity may come with challenges, particularly from established players in the entertainment industry.