Netflix has formally requested ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, to cease the use of its intellectual property in ByteDance’s AI-powered video generation tool, Seedance 2.0. In a cease-and-desist letter sent on Tuesday, Netflix labeled the tool a “high-speed piracy engine” due to its unauthorized replication of characters and scenes from Netflix’s original content.
ByteDance’s Seedance AI drew considerable attention last week after a viral video surfaced featuring AI-generated footage of individuals resembling celebrities Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in a fictional rooftop confrontation. However, the situation escalated as Netflix identified videos created by Seedance that mimic iconic characters and sets from popular Netflix properties including “Stranger Things,” “Bridgerton,” “Squid Game,” and the animated film “KPop Demon Hunters.”
In the legal letter, Netflix’s Director of Litigation stated that Seedance’s use of copyrighted material to produce commercial, derivative works violates copyright laws and does not qualify as fair use. Netflix demanded that ByteDance immediately halt the generation of videos depicting its intellectual property, remove all such existing videos from their platforms, and purge Netflix content from the tool’s training datasets. Additionally, the company called for an accounting of all Seedance-generated content featuring Netflix’s IP and to revoke access to the tool for any third parties producing unauthorized Netflix-related content.
ByteDance responded by affirming its respect for intellectual property rights and said it is addressing concerns related to Seedance 2.0. The company stated it is working to enhance safeguards to prevent unauthorized use of IP and personal likenesses by users.
Netflix’s action follows a similar cease-and-desist letter sent by Disney to ByteDance last week. Disney accused Seedance of utilizing a “pirated library” of characters from franchises such as Star Wars and Marvel, citing unauthorized commercial use of their copyrighted content. This comes after Disney licensed their characters for AI video generation to OpenAI earlier this year. Paramount Skydance also reportedly issued a similar legal notice to ByteDance regarding Seedance.
Netflix’s letter detailed specific infringements including unauthorized recreations of the “Bridgerton” Season 4 masquerade ball costumes, high-fidelity reproductions of “Stranger Things” finales with the show’s monsters, and scenes from “Squid Game” featuring recognizable set pieces and characters in crossover scenarios with public figures.
As the entertainment industry confronts the rapid development of AI tools capable of generating realistic, unauthorized video content, this dispute highlights ongoing challenges related to copyright protections in the digital and artificial intelligence age. Netflix has set a three-business-day deadline for ByteDance’s response and reserved all its legal rights and remedies regarding the alleged infringement.
