Launch And Access
Hollywood organizations are pushing back against a new AI video model called Seedance 2.0, which they say has become a tool for copyright infringement. ByteDance, the Chinese company that recently finalized a deal to sell TikTok’s U.S. operations while retaining a stake in the new joint venture, launched Seedance 2.0 earlier this week. The Wall Street Journal reported that the model is currently available to Chinese users of ByteDance’s Jianying app, and the company said it will soon be available to global users of its CapCut app.
How The Tool Works
Seedance allows users to create short videos, currently limited to 15 seconds, by entering a text prompt. The product is similar to tools such as OpenAI’s Sora. Like those tools, Seedance has drawn criticism over what users and industry groups describe as a lack of safeguards around generating videos that use the likeness of real people or protected intellectual property.
Early Public Reaction
After an X user posted a short video showing Tom Cruise fighting Brad Pitt and said it was created using “a 2 line prompt in seedance 2,” “Deadpool” screenwriter Rhett Reese responded, “I hate to say it. It’s likely over for us.” The post circulated as examples of videos created with the model spread online.
Statements From Hollywood Organizations
The Motion Picture Association issued a statement from its chief executive, Charles Rivkin, calling on ByteDance to stop what he described as infringing activity. Rivkin said that in a single day the service had engaged in unauthorized use of U.S. copyrighted works on a large scale and said the company launched the tool without meaningful safeguards. The Human Artistry Campaign, an initiative backed by Hollywood unions and trade groups, described Seedance 2.0 as an attack on creators, and the actors’ union SAG-AFTRA said it stands with studios in condemning what it called infringement enabled by the model.
Disney And Other Responses
Videos generated by Seedance have reportedly featured Disney owned characters such as Spider Man, Darth Vader, and Grogu, also known as Baby Yoda. Axios reported that Disney sent a cease and desist letter accusing ByteDance of a “virtual smash and grab of Disney’s IP” and saying the company is reproducing, distributing, and creating derivative works featuring those characters. The report said Disney claimed the service is hijacking its characters.
Context Around AI And Licensing
Disney has taken different positions with other technology companies. While it has reportedly sent a cease and desist letter to Google over similar concerns, it has also signed a three year licensing deal with OpenAI. ByteDance has not announced changes to Seedance 2.0 in response to the statements from studios and industry groups.
Featured image credits: Mohamed Ahmed Soliman | Dreamstime.com
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