ByteDance Halts Global Rollout of Seedance 2.0 Amid Copyright Dispute
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ByteDance has decided to pause the global release of its AI video generation model Seedance 2.0, Caixin confirmed with sources close to the company on March 16. Photo: VCG
ByteDance Ltd. has decided to suspend the global rollout of its artificial intelligence video generation model, Seedance 2.0, amid mounting copyright controversies, Caixin has learned.
The move underscores rising tensions between rapidly advancing AI technologies and the entertainment industry, as major studios and labor unions step up efforts to protect their intellectual property.
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- ByteDance suspended the global release of its AI video model, Seedance 2.0, amid copyright disputes with studios, unions, and regulators.
- Major Hollywood studios sent cease-and-desist letters; regulatory probes began in Japan; ByteDance restricted use of realistic faces and protected characters.
- Despite controversy, Seedance 2.0 remains popular in China’s short-drama industry; pricing set at 28-46 yuan per million tokens for video generation and editing.
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Who’s Who
- ByteDance Ltd.
- ByteDance Ltd., a Chinese technology company, is facing controversy regarding its AI video generation model, Seedance 2.0. The company suspended the model's global rollout due to copyright infringement allegations from Hollywood studios and unions. Seedance 2.0, which generates realistic video footage, has been accused of using protected content without permission. ByteDance has implemented some restrictive measures and is also active in the Chinese short-drama industry with this model.
- Disney
- Disney, a major Hollywood studio, has become involved in copyright disputes surrounding ByteDance's AI video generation model, Seedance 2.0. Along with other studios, Disney sent cease-and-desist letters to ByteDance, demanding that the model prevent generating videos using their popular intellectual property characters. Previously, in June 2025, Disney also sued AI image-generator developers Midjourney and MiniMax for alleged intellectual property infringement. However, Disney has also collaborated with AI developers, striking a licensing deal with OpenAI in December 2025.
- Warner Bros.
- Warner Bros. is a major Hollywood studio that sent a cease-and-desist letter to ByteDance regarding their AI video generation model, Seedance 2.0. Along with Disney and Universal Pictures, Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. previously sued AI image-generator developers Midjourney and MiniMax in June 2025 for alleged intellectual property infringement.
- Paramount
- Paramount is a major Hollywood studio whose legal department, alongside Disney, Warner Bros., and Netflix, sent a cease-and-desist letter to ByteDance. This demand aims to prevent Seedance 2.0 from generating videos using their intellectual property characters in response to mounting copyright controversies.
- Netflix
- Netflix is one of the major Hollywood studios that sent a cease-and-desist letter to ByteDance. They demanded that ByteDance prevent its Seedance 2.0 AI model from generating videos using their popular intellectual property characters, highlighting the entertainment industry's concerns about AI and copyright infringement.
- Universal Pictures
- Universal Pictures, along with Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery Inc., filed a lawsuit in June 2025 against AI image-generator developers Midjourney and MiniMax. This legal action alleged intellectual property infringement by the AI companies. This indicates Universal Pictures' concern and active role in addressing copyright issues within the entertainment industry as AI technology advances.
- Warner Bros. Discovery Inc.
- Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. is a major Hollywood studio. In June 2025, alongside Disney and Universal Pictures, it sued AI image-generator developers Midjourney and MiniMax for alleged intellectual-property infringement. This action highlights the company's efforts to protect its content against unauthorized AI use.
- Midjourney
- Midjourney, an AI image-generator, was sued by Disney, Universal Pictures, and Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. in June 2025 for alleged intellectual-property infringement. This legal action highlights the ongoing challenges AI developers face regarding the use of copyrighted material to train their models.
- MiniMax
- MiniMax is an AI image-generator developer that faced a lawsuit in June 2025. Disney, Universal Pictures, and Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. sued MiniMax along with Midjourney for alleged intellectual-property infringement. The lawsuit reflects the ongoing legal challenges and controversies surrounding AI developers and the use of copyrighted content for training AI models.
- OpenAI
- OpenAI entered a licensing deal with Disney in December 2025. This agreement allows OpenAI's Sora video model to use over 200 Disney characters. This collaboration involved Disney taking a stake in OpenAI and making a $1 billion investment, highlighting a strategy for some industry players to engage with AI developers despite broader concerns about intellectual property.
- Volcengine
- Volcengine is ByteDance's cloud-service unit. It has released pricing for the Seedance 2.0 AI video generation model in mainland China. The cost for video editing is 28 yuan ($3.9) per million tokens, and for pure video generation, it's 46 yuan per million tokens.
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What Happened When
- 2023：
- Widespread industry strikes in Hollywood occurred, partly fueled by concerns over job displacement and copyright infringement caused by AI.
- June 2025：
- Disney, Universal Pictures, and Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. sued AI image-generator developers Midjourney and MiniMax over alleged IP infringement.
- December 2025：
- Disney and OpenAI struck a licensing deal for OpenAI’s Sora video model to use more than 200 Disney characters in exchange for a stake and $1 billion investment.
- Feb. 12, 2026：
- Seedance 2.0 officially launched by ByteDance; Motion Picture Association issued a statement accusing the model of large-scale unprotected copyright use.
- Feb. 13, 2026：
- Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists condemned Seedance 2.0 for infringement; Japanese minister Kimi Onoda announced plans to investigate the issue and communicate with ByteDance.
- Feb. 15, 2026：
- Douyin Vice President Li Liang announced on Weibo that Seedance 2.0 would temporarily stop generating realistic human faces and IP-protected characters.
- Feb. 26, 2026：
- Japanese minister Kimi Onoda confirmed that authorities had asked ByteDance to make adjustments to Seedance 2.0.
- March 4, 2026：
- ByteDance’s cloud-service unit Volcengine released pricing for Seedance 2.0 in the Chinese mainland market.
- By Mar. 16, 2026：
- ByteDance had not responded to a request for comment as of the press time.
AI generated, for reference only
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