In early 2026, a major dispute emerged between the entertainment industry and ByteDance, the Chinese technology company behind TikTok. The flashpoint was Seedance 2.0, an advanced generative AI video tool that allows users to create realistic short video clips from simple text prompts.
The tool’s rapid spread and ability to render familiar characters and celebrity likenesses raised serious concerns about copyright and creative rights—drawing coordinated opposition from Hollywood studios, including Sony Pictures as part of a broader industry response.
What Sparked the Backlash?
Seedance 2.0 burst into public view after users shared viral AI-generated clips that appeared to feature well-known fictional characters and Hollywood actors in high-quality scenes. One such example depicted two famous stars in a CGI-like fight scene, triggering alarm across the creative community about the implications of easily accessible AI video generation.
Industry groups argue that Seedance 2.0 lacks meaningful safeguards to prevent unauthorized reproduction of copyrighted characters, scripts, and likenesses—raising the specter of intellectual property violations on a massive scale.
The Motion Picture Association (MPA), which represents studios including Sony, Disney, Paramount, Universal, Warner Bros., and Netflix, publicly stated that the tool’s launch ignored established copyright law and threatened to undermine protections that support jobs and economic value in the creative industries.
Sony’s Part in the Coordinated Response
Sony Pictures, as a member of the MPA and a major content creator with valuable intellectual property, joined other studios in pushing back against Seedance 2.0. Together, these companies and industry groups issued legal pressure—including cease-and-desist notices—arguing that ByteDance’s tool was effectively enabling unlicensed use of copyrighted works.
While specific statements from Sony itself were not widely published, its participation through the MPA highlights a broader trend: major studios are no longer willing to tolerate generative AI systems that can replicate or remix intellectual property without consent, licensing, or robust guardrails. Studios fear that unchecked AI could diminish the value of their content libraries and erode the economic foundations of film and television production.
Industry Unity and Legal Pressure
The entertainment industry’s response reflects a unified front. Alongside the MPA, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) condemned Seedance 2.0 for enabling unauthorized use of performers’ voices and likenesses. These coordinated efforts raise questions about how generative AI tools should interact with protected content and what legal obligations developers must meet before launching powerful media-creation technologies.
ByteDance has responded by pledging to “strengthen current safeguards” around Seedance 2.0, saying it respects intellectual property rights and is working to prevent misuse of its platform. However, details about how and when those safeguards will be implemented remain unclear, and industry skepticism persists.
Why This Matters for Creators and Studios
The dispute illustrates the broader tension between AI innovation and intellectual property law. Tools like Seedance 2.0 can democratize aspects of video creation, but without clear mechanisms to respect creators’ rights, they risk legal conflict and ethical controversy.
For Sony and other studios, the backlash is about more than one tool—it’s about maintaining control over creative assets and establishing early legal and technical standards for AI video generation before such technologies become ubiquitous.
As legal challenges unfold and AI governance frameworks develop, content creators, studios, and technologists will be watching closely to see how this battle influences future AI media tools and the protections available to artists and rights holders.
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Staff Report
Staff Report
Staff Report
