ByteDance backs down in copyright dispute with Disney
Chinese tech company ByteDance has yielded to pressure from Walt Disney in a copyright dispute. On Monday, the parent company of TikTok announced it would prevent the unauthorized use of intellectual property in its video AI “Seedance 2.0,” but did not provide details.
Training AI without permission
Last week, several videos created with Seedance spread rapidly in China, including one showing U.S. actors Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in a fight scene. Disney then sent ByteDance a cease-and-desist letter, according to an insider. The Chinese company is accused of training its AI with Disney characters without permission. The news outlet Axios first reported on Disney’s actions. According to another media report, Paramount Skydance has also accused ByteDance of intellectual property misuse.
Alleged copyright violations
Disney had previously taken action against Character.AI over alleged copyright violations. In December, Disney agreed to a partnership with OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT. As part of the deal, Disney licensed more than 200 Disney, Star Wars, Pixar, and Marvel characters for “Sora,” OpenAI’s video AI.