ByteDance to restrict AI tools after Disney's accusations of "virtual copyright infringement"
Kyiv • UNN
ByteDance will restrict its video generation model Seedance 2.0 after threats of lawsuits from Disney. Hollywood studios accused the developers of using "pirated libraries" to train the neural network.
Chinese tech giant ByteDance has officially pledged to implement strict restrictions on its new video generation model, Seedance 2.0, following threats of lawsuits from Disney. Hollywood studios accused the developers of using "pirated libraries" to train the neural network, which allowed users to create hyperrealistic videos with Marvel and Star Wars characters. This was reported by the BBC, writes UNN.
Details
The conflict escalated into a legal dispute on Friday when Disney sent ByteDance an official letter demanding an immediate cessation of copyright infringement. The film studio's lawyers called the AI tool's activities a "virtual devastation," as the platform effectively turned images protected by billions in investments into publicly available clip art.
Paramount Skydance and the Motion Picture Association of America also joined the criticism, demanding that the ability to reproduce any content owned by major studios be blocked.
Disney sent a letter demanding an end to cooperation, accusing ByteDance of supplying Seedance with a "pirated library" of characters. The studio's lawyers described the company's actions as a "virtual devastation" of their intellectual property.
ByteDance's Reaction and International Investigations
On Monday, ByteDance representatives confirmed that they hear the concerns of rights holders and are already working to strengthen protective barriers in version 2.0. The company promised to block the unauthorized use of the appearance of real people and famous brands, although the details of the technical changes remain undisclosed. At the same time, the Japanese government has already launched its own investigation due to the appearance of generated videos with characters from popular anime in Seedance, which indicates the global nature of the problem.
We respect intellectual property rights and hear concerns about Seedance 2.0. We are currently taking steps to strengthen existing safeguards, working to prevent unauthorized use of assets by users.