According to a report by The Information on Saturday, March 15, ByteDance (字节跳动) has suspended the global release of its latest video generation model, Seedance 2.0. This decision follows a series of copyright disputes with major Hollywood studios and streaming platforms.
The pause highlights the increasing legal and regulatory scrutiny faced by AI developers, particularly regarding the sources of their training data. Multiple technology companies developing generative AI models have already faced lawsuits and complaints from media firms claiming their content was used without authorization.
One month after Seedance 2.0 launched in China, ByteDance (字节跳动) received cease-and-desist notices from Disney and Skydance, a subsidiary of Paramount Pictures. These entities alleged that the model utilized copyrighted materials. Following these complaints, ByteDance has reportedly halted the rollout of the AI video tool in other regions. The Information, citing two individuals familiar with the matter, confirmed that the global promotion of Seedance 2.0 has been suspended.
The model drew immediate fire from Hollywood studios shortly after its release. Concerns regarding the use of copyrighted works during the model's training were triggered by user-generated videos, including an AI-generated clip showing a fight between Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise. In February, ByteDance informed the BBC that the company is taking steps to strengthen existing protections to prevent unauthorized use of intellectual property and personality rights by users. It remains unclear when ByteDance plans to release the tool more broadly.