Recently, both Disney and Paramount Skydance took action against ByteDance, sending a cease-and-desist letter that claims the company is blatantly infringing on intellectual property rights. This comes after the release of hyper-realistic AI-generated videos, titled SeaDance 2.0.
Gabriel Miller, who leads intellectual property at Paramount Skydance, stressed the need for ByteDance to halt its infringement immediately, according to a report.
Miller pointed out that much of the content produced by the Seed Platform features well-known characters from Paramount’s franchises, all of which are protected by various legal frameworks including copyright and trademark laws.
She also mentioned that Seedance improperly uses famous properties like South Park, SpongeBob SquarePants, Star Trek, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Godfather, Dora the Explorer, and Avatar: The Last Airbender. These have been “repeatedly violated,” leading to public distribution and performance of the videos without permission, she noted.
On Disney’s end, they accused ByteDance of utilizing a pirated collection of Disney’s characters from franchises such as Star Wars and Marvel, as if these valuable intellectual properties were freely available for public use.
The Motion Picture Association (MPA) also criticized ByteDance’s actions, asserting that SeaDance 2.0 breaches copyright and trademark laws, potentially paving the way for widespread intellectual property theft. A spokesperson for the MPA stated that Seedance 2.0 has engaged in large-scale unauthorized use of U.S. copyrighted material in a single day. They emphasized that launching a service without solid copyright protections shows a disregard for established laws that protect creators and support many American jobs. They called for ByteDance to immediately stop its infringing activities.
This legal warning, often a precursor to more significant legal action, follows a series of AI-generated videos depicting iconic movie characters in entirely computer-generated scenes, without any involvement or endorsement from the original actors. One viral clip featured a rooftop brawl between Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise, which sent ripples of concern throughout Hollywood regarding the advancements in AI technology.
Rhett Reese, a writer known for Marvel’s Deadpool series, expressed his shock by commenting on social media, suggesting this could lead to the end of traditional filmmaking.
He further stated that soon, a single individual might be able to create a movie indistinguishable from Hollywood’s current offerings, reflecting a growing unease about AI’s capabilities.
The video even showcased notable action figures like Godzilla and Marvel’s Spider-Man, raising further discussions around intellectual property in the age of advanced technology.
