ByteDance will take steps to prevent the unauthorised use of intellectual property on its artificial intelligence (AI) video generator Seedance 2.0, the Chinese technology firm said on Monday.
The statement follows threats of legal action from U.S. studios such as Disney.
Disney sent a cease-and-desist letter to ByteDance accusing the firm of using its characters to train and power Seedance 2.0 without permission, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.
The letter alleged Seedance was reproducing and distributing works featuring characters such as Spider-Man and Darth Vader.
The film company stated that ByteDance had pre-packaged the tool with a pirated library of copyrighted characters from franchises such as Star Wars and Marvel.
The accusation claims these were portrayed as if they were public-domain clip art.
"We are taking steps to strengthen current safeguards as we work to prevent the unauthorised use of intellectual property and likeness by users," ByteDance said in a statement.
The company did not elaborate on the specific measures it was taking.
Viral content
Seedance 2.0 was released last week and videos generated by the tool have quickly gone viral in China. Some examples include AI-generated clips of actors such as Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt.
The AI model has been compared to DeepSeek and noted for its ability to produce cinematic storylines with minimal prompts.
Wider industry pushback
Paramount Skydance has also sent a cease-and-desist letter to ByteDance, accusing the firm of engaging in "blatant infringement" of its intellectual property, Variety reported.
Disney has taken similar actions against Character.AI, demanding the startup stop the unauthorised use of its copyrighted characters.
In contrast, Disney signed a licensing deal with OpenAI in December to allow the startup to use characters from Star Wars, Pixar, and Marvel franchises in its Sora video generator.
England will face Norway in the World Cup quarter-finals after Erling Haaland scored twice late on to stun five-time champions Brazil 2-1 and send Nor...
Heavy monsoon rains triggered deadly landslides at Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh, killing at least eight people, including children, and forcin...
Christian Dior has secured one of fashion's most coveted celebrity endorsements after both Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce wore custom haute couture des...
Global pop-star Taylor Swift has announced the release of a new original song for Disney and Pixar’s animated film "Toy Story 5", following days of online speculation among fans.
Walt Disney is planning to cut up to 1,000 jobs in the coming weeks, with many of the reductions expected to affect its marketing division, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing sources familiar with the plans.
Uzbekistan is exploring potential cooperation with The Walt Disney Company on creative and tourism projects, including a long-term proposal to build a Disneyland-style theme park, following talks in Tashkent.
Disney’s Zootopia 2 dominated the global box office with a massive $556 million debut over the Thanksgiving weekend, marking the fourth-highest worldwide opening of all time.
The death toll from Venezuela's devastating twin earthquakes has risen to 3,342, according to the country's information ministry, as rescue teams continue searching affected areas and survivors face an uncertain recovery.
Russia's Defence Ministry has said its forces are clearing the town of Lyman in Donetsk of Ukrainian forces, Moscow's state news agency Tass reported. Meanwhile, Russian attacks killed at least six people across three Ukrainian regions on Friday, regional officials said.
Governments are tightening restrictions on teenagers’ use of social media amid growing concerns over mental health, online safety and platform design, but questions remain over enforcement and whether bans can meaningfully change behaviour.
President Donald Trump said Iran is keen to reach a deal with the United States, claiming Washington had paused engagement to allow funeral ceremonies for late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Thousands of mourners gathered in Tehran on Sunday as Iran held funeral prayers for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and four members of his family on the second day of mass processions. Three of Khamenei's sons attended the ceremony, while his successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, made no public appearance.
Humanoid robots stumbled, collided and recovered as they battled for the RoboCup 2026 football title on Sunday (5 July), showcasing the latest advances in robotics and artificial intelligence at the world's largest competition of its kind.
India is investigating a data breach at Tata Electronics that exposed sensitive documents linked to Apple's unreleased iPhone 18 Pro, marking the government's first public comments on the incident.
Humanity’s return to the Moon is about far more than planting flags and collecting samples. Under NASA’s Artemis programme, the goal is to establish a lasting human presence, with lunar rovers set to play a vital role in making that vision possible.
American technology company Snap has launched its first augmented-reality (AR) glasses for consumers, marking a major push into wearable computing as tech firms race to redefine personal devices in the AI era.
The Canadian government has introduced a digital safety bill that would ban children under the age of 16 from using social media, unless platforms meet specific safety standards.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment