Paramount, Disney Send ByteDance Seedance AI Cease-and-Desist Letters

Variety

by Todd Spangler

February 15, 2026

AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary

Paramount Skydance and Disney have sent cease-and-desist letters to ByteDance, accusing the Chinese tech giant of intellectual property infringement through its Seedance video and Seedream image generative AI platforms. The media giants claim that ByteDance’s AI tools are unlawfully replicating characters, stories, and franchises from popular copyrighted works, including “South Park,” “Star Trek,” “The Godfather,” and Disney’s Marvel and Star Wars universes. These allegations highlight a growing concern in the entertainment industry about AI-generated content and its potential to infringe on copyrighted material. In their letters, both companies detail specific examples of what they describe as pirated content created by ByteDance’s AI platforms. Paramount’s letter, signed by Gabriel Miller, its head of intellectual property, asserts that Seedance and Seedream produce visuals and audio that closely mimic protected characters and narratives from Paramount’s franchises, such as “SpongeBob SquarePants” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.” Disney’s letter, written on behalf of the company by attorney David Singer, condemns ByteDance for making unauthorized use of Disney’s iconic characters, calling the practice “willful and pervasive.” The issue has drawn significant attention from Hollywood unions and industry groups. The Motion Picture Association (MPA) and SAG-AFTRA have joined in condemning ByteDance’s AI tools, particularly after a video generated by Seedance 2.0 featuring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt went viral earlier this week. These groups argue that ByteDance’s actions not only harm content creators but also set a dangerous precedent for the entertainment industry, where IP protection is crucial. ByteDance has yet to respond to these allegations, leaving questions about how it will address concerns over AI-generated content. The situation underscores broader tensions between tech companies leveraging AI for creative purposes and traditional entertainment industries seeking to protect their intellectual property. As AI technology continues to evolve, this case may serve as a key legal and ethical benchmark for balancing innovation with IP rights in the digital age.

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Originally published on Variety on 2/15/2026