The Walt Disney Company has sent a cease and desist notice to ByteDance, alleging that the company used Disney copyright material in building and deploying the SeaDance 2.0 video generation service without permission or payment.
The notice claims that the platform launched with what Disney describes as an embedded library of protected characters from the franchise and presented them in a way that suggested they were freely available to the public.
The company also claims that its content is being used to power commercial services, further strengthening its infringement claims.
The controversy comes amid widespread criticism from Hollywood industry groups. The Motion Picture Association, led by Charles Rivkin, called on ByteDance to cease what it called infringing activities. Meanwhile, SAG-AFTRA and the Directors Guild of America, part of the Human Artistry Campaign, called on authorities to take legal action to address the issue.
Disney is taking a more aggressive stance on AI and copyright enforcement. Previous actions include notifications sent to Character.AI and Google, resulting in changes and removal of unauthorized content. The studio has also filed a lawsuit against Midjourney and, along with NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Discovery, is suing MiniMax for alleged massive copyright infringement.
Despite its tougher enforcement stance, the Walt Disney Company has shown a willingness to work with AI developers through licensing agreements. The company previously entered into a major partnership with OpenAI to become the video platform’s content licensing partner and made a significant equity investment as part of the deal.
