Chinese technology company ByteDance has reportedly paused its plan to release its new artificial intelligence video generator, Seedance 2.0, to the global market following legal concerns raised by major Hollywood studios.

The system had already been launched in China earlier this year and quickly attracted worldwide attention for its ability to produce highly realistic video clips. Shortly after the model’s release, several AI generated clips began circulating online, including a widely shared video depicting actors Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in a fictional fight scene.

The viral footage triggered strong backlash from the entertainment industry, with studios accusing the company of potentially infringing on intellectual property rights. Legal representatives from major film companies sent cease and desist letters to ByteDance, arguing that the technology could misuse copyrighted characters and actors’ likenesses.

Lawyers representing Disney reportedly described the situation as a digital “smash and grab” of intellectual property belonging to established studios.
In response, ByteDance promised to strengthen its safeguards to protect copyrighted content and prevent misuse of the technology. Engineers and legal teams within the company are now reviewing the system’s capabilities and developing new restrictions before expanding the platform outside China.

Although Seedance 2.0 was initially scheduled for global release in mid March, the company has chosen to delay the launch until the legal risks are addressed. ByteDance has not publicly commented on the situation, but industry observers say the case reflects the growing tension between rapid advances in generative AI and the protection of creative rights.

Source: TechCrunch