Aug 17 (Reuters) – ByteDance and the Motion Picture Association on Monday signed an agreement to strengthen copyright safeguards on the Chinese company’s AI video and image-generation models, months after the Hollywood trade group challenged its handling of intellectual property.
The deal, which covers ByteDance’s Seedance video and Seedream image-generation models, follows a cease-and-desist letter the MPA sent in February over these tools.
• Disney and other studios in February raised concerns the AI tools could generate content featuring copyrighted characters and celebrity likenesses without authorization.
• ByteDance said newer versions of the models include stronger intellectual-property protections.
• Models are offered through services including TikTok, CapCut and Dreamina.
• The MPA’s challenge came amid concerns that Seedance could generate content featuring copyrighted film and television characters without permission.
• Both sides said they will continue collaborating on safeguards for copyrighted content as AI technology evolves.
(Reporting by Rashika Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Vijay Kishore)
By Reuters | Reuters | © Copyright Thomson Reuters 2026.
