HomeTechnologyByteDance backpedals after Seedance 2.0 turned Hollywood icons into AI “clip art”

ByteDance backpedals after Seedance 2.0 turned Hollywood icons into AI “clip art”

TechnologyFebruary 16, 2026
1 min read
ByteDance backpedals after Seedance 2.0 turned Hollywood icons into AI “clip art”
Hollywood backlash puts spotlight on ByteDance's sketchy launch of Seedance 2.0.

ByteDance says that it's rushing to add safeguards to block Seedance 2.0 from generating iconic characters and deepfaking celebrities, after substantial Hollywood backlash after launching the latest version of its AI video tool.

The changes come after Disney and Paramount Skydance sent cease-and-desist letters to ByteDance urging the Chinese company to promptly end the allegedly vast and blatant infringement.

Studios claimed the infringement was widescale and immediate, with Seedance 2.0 users across social media sharing AI videos featuring copyrighted characters like Spider-Man, Darth Vader, and SpongeBob Square Pants. In its letter, Disney fumed that Seedance was "hijacking" its characters, accusing ByteDance of treating Disney characters like they were "free public domain clip art," Axios reported.

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Source: Ars Technica

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