Disney Accuses ByteDance of Piracy and Demands to Restrict Operation of Seedance 2.0 - ForkLog: Cryptocurrencies, AI, Singularity, Future

# Disney has accused ByteDance of piracy and demanded restrictions on Seedance 2.0

Hollywood organizations have sharply criticized the AI video generator Seedance 2.0, calling it “quickly becoming a tool for blatant copyright infringement.”

Chinese tech giant ByteDance released an update to its neural network in February. The tool supports eight languages, including Russian and English.

The algorithm creates videos based on text prompts, images, and audio files. Users have noted high-quality directing and editing, as well as “incredibly natural, almost professional” transitions between frames.

User X Ruairi Robinson posted a realistic scene of a fight between Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt.

This was a 2-line prompt in Seedance 2.0. If Hollywood is cooked, maybe the guys are right, maybe Hollywood is cooked too, I don’t know. pic.twitter.com/dNTyLUIwAV

— Ruairi Robinson (@RuairiRobinson) February 11, 2026

The video was created using “two lines of text prompt in Seedance 2.0.” The clip has garnered 1.6 million views.

Screenwriter of “Deadpool” Rhett Reese commented on the publication:

“I hate to say this, but probably, it’s all over for us.”

Soon, the Film Producers Association issued a statement from CEO Charles Ruckin. He demanded ByteDance “immediately cease illegal activities”:

“In just one day, the Chinese AI service Seedance 2.0 carried out widespread unauthorized use of American copyrighted works. By launching the tool without significant infringement protection mechanisms, ByteDance ignores established copyright laws that protect creators’ interests and support millions of jobs in the US.”

The Human Artistry Campaign entertainment industry coalition called Seedance 2.0 “an attack on every creator in the world.” The SAG-AFTRA actors’ union supported the studio’s position, condemning the project for clear violations:

“They include unauthorized use of our members’ voices and images. This is unacceptable and undermines talented people’s ability to earn a living. Seedance 2.0 ignores law, ethics, industry standards, and fundamental consent principles.”

The Walt Disney Company sent ByteDance a letter demanding an end to copyright infringement. The company accused its service of providing “a pre-packaged pirate library of Disney copyrighted characters from Star Wars, Marvel, and other franchises.”

The letter includes numerous examples where Seedance 2.0 used “Spider-Man,” “Darth Vader,” “Grogu,” and “Peter Griffin.”

Generated with Seedance 2.0 from a single prompt.

Hollywood isn’t the future of filmmaking.
Creators are. pic.twitter.com/bA7mCGFGOj

— Duet | AI (@Sheldon056) February 15, 2026

Paramount took a similar step.

On X, numerous videos featuring famous characters and actors created with Seedance 2.0 have been posted.

Seedance 2.0

Prompt: Summarize the AI discourse in a meme — make sure it’s retarded and gets 50 likes. pic.twitter.com/09yPdo3Tjy

— Charles Curran (@charliebcurran) February 14, 2026

Another example shows Will Smith fighting a spaghetti monster.

Seedance 2.0 changed filmmaking forever.

“Will Smith fighting a spaghetti monster, epic action film scene, different cuts, 80s movie scene”

Now you can direct your own movies 🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/1prrQ4NUUh

— Javi Lopez ⛩️ (@javilopen) February 11, 2026

Other Countries

Pressure on ByteDance is increasing outside the US as well. Japan’s Cabinet has initiated an investigation into the company over possible copyright violations.

The reason is the spread on social media of content featuring characters from popular anime and manga, including Detective Conan and Ultraman.

“We cannot ignore the situation where content is used without the rights holder’s permission,” said Japan’s AI Minister Kimi Onoda.

Seedance 2.0 has also sparked controversy within China due to its ability to synthesize a user’s voice from a photo.

Doubao app user Shi Yu shared that she felt uncomfortable when the neural network created a video with a voice very similar to her own. Presumably, the system matched her face with other videos online.

“It seems personal privacy has taken a back seat,” she said.

ByteDance’s Reaction

ByteDance stated that it is working on strengthening protective mechanisms in Seedance 2.0.

“We respect intellectual property rights and have heard concerns regarding Seedance 2.0. We are taking steps to enhance protection mechanisms to prevent unauthorized use of intellectual property,” the company’s notice said.

Under criticism pressure, ByteDance limited personalization features in Seedance 2.0. The model no longer supports uploading real people’s faces as references for video generation.

Rui Ma, founder of the Tech Buzz China consulting firm, suggested that the scandal might have been a planned move by ByteDance itself. The company aimed to draw attention to the technical capabilities of Seedance 2.0.

Recall that in February, Chinese developer Kuaishou introduced the third version of its video generation model, Kling AI.