ByteDance, the Chinese tech giant that owns TikTok outside the U.S., said it will “strengthen current safeguards” on its AI video generating tool Seedance, following threats of legal action from Disney and other Hollywood studios over the use of their intellectual property in short form videos that are taking over social media.
Seedance 2.0 has caused an earthquake in the West, after the latest iteration of the tool seen the rapid creation and proliferation of hyper realistic short form videos featuring some of world’s biggest movie and TV stars, as well as characters from Marvel, DC, Star Wars and other popular franchises.
Such has been the spread of Seedance videos, that Hollywood has been quick to fire back. On Friday, Disney sent a cease and desist letter to ByteDance over the brazen infringement of its IP.
The reaction from other major Hollywood organizations has been just as swift and vehement. The Motion Picture Association, which represents the studios, has demanded that the tool “immediately cease its infringing activity” and the actors’ union SAG-AFTRA accused Seedance of “blatant infringement.” Added the union, “The infringement includes the unauthorized use of our members’ voices and likenesses. This is unacceptable and undercuts the ability of human talent to earn a livelihood.”
On Monday ByteDance told the BBC that the company “respects intellectual property rights and we have heard the concerns regarding Seedance 2.0.”
“We are taking steps to strengthen current safeguards as we work to prevent the unauthorised use of intellectual property and likeness by users,” the company added, but it is still unclear what the current safeguards and how they will be strengthened.