Paramount Latest Studio To Hit ByteDance With Cease And Desist Letter Over AI Models

Paramount Skydance has joined Disney in sending a cease-and-desist letter to ByteDance regarding its AI video tool, Seedance 2.0. Both studios accuse ByteDance of blatant infringement of their intellectual property rights. Paramount's letter claims that Seedance 2.0 has unauthorized uses of characters from popular franchises such as “South Park,” “Star Trek,” and “The Godfather” (Variety). Disney's cease-and-desist letter alleges that ByteDance used a "pirated library" of Disney's copyrighted characters, including those from the Star Wars and Marvel franchises, to train its AI model. Disney asserts that Seedance 2.0 has generated videos featuring characters like Spider-Man and Darth Vader without permission, which they describe as a "virtual smash-and-grab" of their intellectual property (Engadget, Euronews). The release of Seedance 2.0 has sparked significant backlash from Hollywood, with the Human Artistry Campaign, which includes members from SAG-AFTRA and the Directors Guild of America, condemning the AI model as “destructive to culture” and a tool for blatant copyright infringement (Deadline). The controversy has been exacerbated by viral clips featuring AI-generated versions of Hollywood icons, further igniting outrage among artists and industry professionals (Engadget). In response to the criticism, ByteDance has announced plans to enhance safeguards for Seedance 2.0, although specific details regarding these measures have not been disclosed (Euronews). Despite the backlash, Seedance 2.0 has received praise for its capabilities, highlighting the ongoing tension between technological advancements in AI and the protection of intellectual property rights within the entertainment industry (Euronews, Deadline).