Overview
- ByteDance released Seedance 2.0 this week, and users quickly posted hyper‑realistic videos mimicking Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, and major franchises that spread widely online.
- The Motion Picture Association accused the service of unauthorized use of U.S. copyrighted works on a massive scale and urged ByteDance to halt the activity immediately.
- SAG-AFTRA called the output “blatant infringement,” citing unauthorized use of members’ voices and likenesses and warning that it undermines performers’ livelihoods.
- Irish filmmaker Ruairí Robinson said the viral Cruise–Pitt clip came from a two-line prompt, while screenwriter Rhett Reese warned such tools could let one person create studio-quality films.
- CineD reported that Disney sent a cease-and-desist letter to ByteDance alleging Seedance includes a “pirated library” of its characters, a development not confirmed by Disney in other outlets.