Chinese tech giant ByteDance has reportedly decided to suspend the worldwide launch of its latest AI video generation mode, SeeDance 2.0. This comes after the company received a legal notice from a major Hollywood studio for copyright infringement. ByteDance’s new AI model is currently only available in China.
According to a report from The Information, ByteDance has no plans to release SeeDance 2.0 globally, at least for now. The company originally aimed for a global rollout in mid-March. ByteDance is also the parent company of the popular social media platform TikTok.
What is SeeDance 2.0?
Last month, Chinese tech giant ByteDance surprised Hollywood and filmmakers around the world. SeeDance 2.0, the company’s new AI video generation, also makes it easy to create scenes like those from iconic Hollywood movies.
The user-generated AI video included a viral clip featuring Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise. This sparked outrage among Hollywood studios, who claimed that the company was allowing such productions without permission. Other videos included clips from series such as “Star Wars.”
Disney, one of the most vocal opponents, accused ByteDance of using its characters in SeeDance 2.0 training and distributing copyrighted material as public domain art. The American media giant sent a cease-and-desist letter to the company last month.
Another Hollywood studio, Paramount Skydance, called ByteDance’s actions a “blatant violation” of its intellectual property and specifically named titles such as “South Park,” “Star Trek” and “The Godfather” in a legal notice.
ByteDance claims to prevent IP infringement
In response to growing legal pressure, ByteDance previously said it would take steps to prevent such intellectual property infringement through SeeDance 2.0.
Since announcing SeeDance 2.0 in February, ByteDance has positioned the platform as a content creation tool for professional film, advertising, and e-commerce. The system is touted for its ability to process text, images, audio, and video simultaneously, with the aim of reducing production costs for companies.
Many are even concerned that ByteDance could be the end of Hollywood and the film industry as we know it.
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