TECH

Hollywood Isn’t a Fan of ByteDance’s New AI Video Tool

Published: Feb. 14, 2026 7:07 p.m. GMT+8

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ByteDance Ltd.’s new AI video generation tool has sparked an immediate backlash from the U.S. entertainment industry, with major groups condemning Seedance 2.0 for rampant copyright infringement.

The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) issued a statement on Friday slamming “the blatant infringement” enabled by the Chinese tech giant’s Seedance 2.0, which includes “the unauthorized use of our members’ voices and likenesses.”

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ByteDance’s Seedance 2.0 AI video tool faces backlash from U.S. entertainment groups for copyright infringement and unauthorized use of actors’ voices and likenesses.
Disney sent a cease-and-desist letter, following prior lawsuits and settlements involving AI-generated content and character IP.
Industry responses range from legal action to licensing agreements, such as Disney’s $1 billion deal with OpenAI for character usage.

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Who’s Who

ByteDance Ltd.: ByteDance Ltd. is a Chinese tech giant facing backlash from the U.S. entertainment industry over its AI video generation tool, Seedance 2.0. Major groups like SAG-AFTRA and the MPA accuse Seedance 2.0 of enabling copyright infringement, including the unauthorized use of actors' voices and likenesses. Disney has reportedly sent a cease-and-desist letter to ByteDance.

Motion Picture Association: The Motion Picture Association (MPA) has accused ByteDance's Seedance 2.0 of operating "without meaningful safeguards against infringement." This charge follows the launch of Seedance 2.0, which has drawn criticism from the U.S. entertainment industry due to concerns about copyright infringement and the unauthorized use of intellectual property.

Disney: Disney has actively engaged in legal battles against AI developers like ByteDance, Midjourney, and MiniMax, sending cease-and-desist letters to protect its intellectual property from infringement by AI video generation tools. Conversely, Disney has also formed licensing agreements with AI companies, notably a $1 billion deal with OpenAI, allowing the use of its characters for models like Sora.

Google: Disney previously took action against Google for intellectual property infringement, leading Google to adjust its practices. This suggests Google has been involved in past disputes concerning AI and copyright.

Character.AI: Character.AI is an AI developer that, along with Google, previously faced actions from Disney concerning intellectual property infringement. Disney took similar actions against ByteDance's Seedance 2.0. Character.AI reportedly adjusted its practices after Disney's intervention, suggesting it had been involved in activities Disney deemed infringing.

Universal Pictures: Universal Pictures is one of the studios, alongside Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery, that initiated legal battles against AI developers Midjourney and MiniMax in mid-2025. These lawsuits alleged intellectual property violations, specifically claiming that the AI platforms allowed users to generate images of their copyrighted characters.

Warner Bros. Discovery: Warner Bros. Discovery is mentioned as one of the studios that, in mid-2025, sued AI developers Midjourney and MiniMax for alleged intellectual property violations. They claimed these platforms allowed users to generate images of their copyrighted characters. This highlights the company's involvement in legal battles against AI developers over IP rights.

Midjourney: Midjourney is an AI developer that, along with MiniMax, was sued by major studios like Disney, Universal Pictures, and Warner Bros. Discovery in mid-2025. The lawsuits alleged that Midjourney violated intellectual property by enabling users to generate images of copyrighted characters.

MiniMax: MiniMax is an AI developer that was sued by major studios, including Disney, Universal Pictures, and Warner Bros. Discovery, in mid-2025 for intellectual property violations. The studios claimed MiniMax's platform allowed users to generate images of copyrighted characters. In its Hong Kong listing prospectus, MiniMax contended that character images should not be treated as independent works.

OpenAI: In December 2025, OpenAI reached a licensing agreement with Disney. This partnership, involving a $1 billion investment, granted OpenAI a three-year right to use over 200 Disney characters for its Sora model. This followed an industry compromise in October regarding OpenAI’s Sora 2, which established an "opt-in" system for artists to control the use of their image.

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What Happened When

Mid-2025：: Studios including Disney, Universal Pictures, and Warner Bros. Discovery sued AI developers Midjourney and MiniMax for IP violations.

October 2025：: An industry compromise was reached regarding OpenAI’s Sora 2, establishing an 'opt-in' system for artists to control the use of their image.

December 2025：: Disney and OpenAI reached a licensing agreement involving a $1 billion investment, granting the AI company a three-year right to use over 200 Disney characters for its Sora model.

Thursday, 2026-02-12：: The Motion Picture Association (MPA) accused ByteDance of launching Seedance 2.0 without meaningful safeguards against infringement.