ByteDance Halts Seedance 2.0 Global Launch Amid Copyright Row

ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, has suspended the global rollout of its advanced AI video generation model, Seedance 2.0, amid escalating copyright disputes with major Hollywood studios and streaming platforms. The decision, reported by sources familiar with the matter, halts plans for an international launch originally set for mid-March, following the model's debut in China in February.

The suspension stems from accusations that ByteDance trained Seedance 2.0 on unauthorized copyrighted materials, including characters from prominent film franchises. Disney issued a cease-and-desist letter last month, alleging the model incorporated protected assets from its Marvel and Star Wars universes, treating them as public-domain clip art. The company claimed this enabled users to generate videos featuring digital likenesses of celebrities, such as a viral clip depicting Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in a fictional fight scene that spread widely online in China. Paramount Skydance followed with its own cease-and-desist, accusing ByteDance of using intellectual property from properties like South Park, Star Trek, and The Godfather to develop the tool.