ByteDance said Monday it will strengthen safeguards on its new AI video generator, Seedance 2.0, after facing legal threats from major US studios, including Disney.
The move follows a cease-and-desist letter accusing the Chinese tech firm of using copyrighted characters without permission.
Seedance 2.0, released last week, quickly went viral in China. Users shared short cinematic-style clips created with simple text prompts.
One widely circulated video showed actors resembling Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in a dramatic fight scene.
The tool has drawn comparisons to other advanced AI systems for its ability to create detailed storylines with minimal input.
But the excitement was soon met with concern from Hollywood.
According to a source familiar with the matter, Disney sent a formal letter to ByteDance late Sunday.
The company accused Seedance 2.0 of being trained on and powered by a "pirated library" of copyrighted characters from major franchises such as Star Wars and Marvel, BT reported.
The letter alleged that the AI tool was reproducing and distributing content featuring characters like Spider-Man and Darth Vader, and presenting them as if they were free for public use.
ByteDance pledges to prevent unauthorised IP use on AI video tool after Disney threat - https://t.co/vR0zdtadfJ
— Shehzad Younis شہزاد یونس (@shehzadyounis) February 16, 2026
ByteDance Pledges Stronger Safeguards
In response, ByteDance said in a statement: "We are taking steps to strengthen current safeguards as we work to prevent the unauthorized use of intellectual property and likeness by users." The company did not provide details about the specific changes it plans to make.
According to Reuters, another major studio, Paramount Skydance, has also reportedly sent a cease-and-desist letter.
The studio accused ByteDance of "blatant infringement" of its intellectual property, according to media reports.
Disney has taken similar steps before. The company previously demanded that Character.AI stop using its copyrighted characters without permission. At the same time, Disney has shown it is open to partnerships.
In December, it signed a licensing agreement with OpenAI, allowing certain characters from Star Wars, Pixar and Marvel to be used in OpenAI's Sora video generator under agreed terms.
Originally published on vcpost.com
