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ByteDance and the Motion Picture Association have signed a memorandum of understanding to build copyright guardrails into the company’s Seedance and Seedream AI generators, the first deal of its kind between Hollywood’s main studio lobby and an AI firm, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Dispute started after popular Tom Cruise video
The truce ends a dispute that broke out approximately six months ago. The controversy dates back to a clip created purely by AI of Tom Cruise trading blows with Brad Pitt, built with Seedance, and then spreading widely all over the internet.
On February 20, MPA global general counsel Karyn Temple wrote to ByteDance general counsel John Rogovin, the Los Angeles Times reported, arguing that Seedance 2.0 had been trained on protected material and was turning out unauthorized clips of characters such as SpongeBob SquarePants alongside a recreated scene from “Stranger Things.”
Variety reported that the trade group accused ByteDance of “disregarding well-established copyright law that protects the rights of creators and underpins millions of American jobs” on a supposedly “massive scale.” Disney and other studios also objected to tools that could reproduce Marvel and Star Wars figures without permission, The News reported.
Results of constructive talks
The MOU then announced on Monday that it has created a structure covering ByteDance’s generative products, reaching users through TikTok, its separate U.S. TikTok app, CapCut, and Dreamina.
The MPA did not release the details of the specific barriers and deterrents in the deal to the public, the Los Angeles Times reported. Both companies have, however, pointed to newer releases as evidence that these safeguards have been initiated, with ByteDance claiming both Seedance 2.5 and Seedream 5.0 Pro, shipped last month, carry stronger IP protections.
“Today’s agreement illustrates our belief that copyright is a cornerstone of the film and television industry,” MPA Chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin said in a statement, adding that the deal “reflects our shared determination to continue our work together to further fortify those guardrails.” Bytedance general counsel, John Rogovin, said the company “respects the intellectual property rights that underpin creative industries around the world” and said the MOU was “an important framework for continued collaboration as the technology evolves.”
OpenAI’s Sora shutdown resonates with IP crackdown
ByteDance is not the first AI company the MPA has pressured into concessions on their AI product. The association had initially gone after OpenAI’s Sora before the firm added limits, according to Variety, with OpenAI eventually shutting Sora down earlier this year after a similar wave of unauthorized character videos.
However, instead of fully retreating and shutting down its products, ByteDance is taking a different path, pouring more funds into Seedance, which is reportedly one of the most advanced video models available, alongside Google’s offerings.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Seedance has gained ground with independent filmmakers who find it cheaper than rival tools, a development that gives ByteDance a commercial reason to keep the studios afloat instead of completely disengaging from the market.
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