Hollywood Studios Demand ByteDance Shut Down Seedance AI ...

Hollywood Studios Demand ByteDance Shut Down Seedance AI Video Tool Over Copyright Concerns

Major US studios have demanded that ByteDance, the Chinese owner of TikTok, immediately cease operations of its new AI video generation tool Seedance 2.0, accusing the company of mass copyright infringement.

The Conflict

The Motion Picture Association (MPA), which represents major studios including Netflix, Disney, Warner Bros, Universal, Sony Pictures, and Paramount, has called on ByteDance to halt the tool, according to reporting by the BBC. The MPA's chairman and CEO, Charles Rivkin, said in a statement that "in a single day, the Chinese AI service Seedance 2.0 has engaged in unauthorized use of US copyrighted works on a massive scale."

The controversy centers on Seedance 2.0's ability to generate ultra-realistic video clips from simple text prompts. Users have created and shared clips featuring recognizable actors, film scenes, and television show characters—including a widely-shared video of Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt fighting in a film-style scene.

What Seedance 2.0 Does

According to ByteDance's marketing, Seedance delivers "an ultra-realistic immersive experience" that enables users to create high-end video outputs without needing complicated production tools. Users can generate scenes ranging from fictional fights between major movie stars to reimagined scenes from shows like Friends, Breaking Bad, and The Lord of the Rings.

A review by Forbes noted that Seedance 2.0 "offers a level of creative control that mimics a human director" and allows users to create professional-looking content from simple prompts.

Hollywood's Response

The entertainment industry's reaction has been swift—and concerned. Screenwriter Rhett Reese, who co-wrote and executive produced the Deadpool films, expressed his fears on social media: "It's likely over for us," he wrote, after seeing the Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt clip. "So many people I love are facing the loss of careers they love. I myself am at risk."

Others in the industry have taken a more measured view. Heather Anne Campbell, a writer for Saturday Night Live and Rick & Morty, noted that while users have access to powerful visualization tools, "they're turning out fanfiction"—suggesting that original creative ideas remain difficult even with AI.

ByteDance's Response

ByteDance has stated that the content referenced was created as part of a limited pre-launch testing phase. The company says it respects intellectual property rights and copyright protections and takes any potential infringement seriously. According to ByteDance, steps are being taken to further address risks, including implementing robust policies, monitoring mechanisms, and processes to ensure compliance with local regulations.

The company has also suspended the ability for users to upload images of real people while it reviews its policies.

Broader Implications

This dispute highlights the ongoing tension between AI-generated content and intellectual property rights—a conflict that shows no signs of resolution. As AI video tools become more sophisticated, creators and rights holders face difficult questions about how to protect their work while accommodating new creative technologies.

The Seedance controversy follows a pattern of AI tools disrupting creative industries, from text generation to image creation. The question facing lawmakers, courts, and the entertainment industry is whether existing copyright frameworks are adequate—or whether new approaches are needed.

Sources:

•BBC News: "Seedance: Hollywood studios take aim at 'ultra-realistic' AI video tool" (February 2026)
•Forbes: "ByteDance's Seedance 2.0 Nails Real-World Physics And Hyper-Real Outputs" (February 2026)