The controversy exploded after the viral spread of AI videos featuring characters from ‘Stranger Things’, ‘Star Wars’, Marvel and DC.
By Arturo Lopez Gambito on February 19, 2026
Alarm in Hollywood sounded even before the official launch of Seedance version 2.0. A clip generated with artificial intelligence showing Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise fighting on a bridge began circulating on social media and went viral within hours. The realism of the video, created with the ByteDance tool, provoked immediate reactions in the industry, which saw in that example a warning of how far AI can go when using faces, characters and protected universes without authorization. From there, the studios moved from concern to formal action.
The conflict escalated when videos created with Seedance 2.0 began to multiply, incorporating recognizable characters from popular franchises. Among the cases cited are content linked to ‘Stranger Things’, as well as material related to ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ and other high-profile properties.
On February 17, Netflix sent a cease and desist letter to ByteDance warning that it will not allow “Our valuable intellectual property to be treated as free and public domain clip art.” It also made it clear that “I will not stand idly by” if the leverage of its protected material continues.
Sony Pictures Entertainment, for its part, demanded the immediate removal of its intellectual property from the model’s training data, including references to ‘Breaking Bad’ and the films of the “Spider-Verse”. In her letter, Jill Ratner, the studio’s general counsel, wrote:
“Given the atrocious nature of the Seedance 2.0 results and the complete lack of observable copyright barriers in the launch, SPE can only conclude that ByteDance’s infringements are intentional.” She later added: “SPE will not tolerate belated or half-hearted measures. Please contact us immediately to confirm that effective, robust and meaningful safeguards are being implemented.”
The United Front of Hollywood
Sony is the fifth studio to protest directly to ByteDance, following similar letters sent by Disney, Paramount, Warner Bros., and Netflix.
The Motion Picture Association, which represents these studios in addition to Amazon and Universal, called for the tool to “immediately cease its infringing activity.” The actors’ union SAG-AFTRA called the use of Cruise and Pitt’s image in the viral clip that triggered the controversy “unacceptable.”
videos featuring characters associated with ‘Star Wars’, as well as superheroes from DC Comics and Marvel Comics, have been circulated, amplifying the pressure on ByteDance.
ByteDance’s Response and the Legal Landscape
Faced with pressure and legal warnings from the studios, ByteDance maintained that it respects copyright and has taken note of the concerns raised regarding Seedance 2.0. The company assured that it is working to strengthen protection mechanisms to prevent unauthorized use of both protected content and the image of real people.
However, the company has not specified what these adjustments will consist of or when they will fully come into effect. At the same time, previous experiences with lawsuits against technology companies based in China have revealed potential procedural obstacles. Formal notification through the Chinese Ministry of Justice, under the procedures of the Hague Convention, could take between 18 and 24 months.
The conflict remains unresolved. What began with the widespread dissemination of a clip generated by AI with recognizable figures ended up becoming a legal dispute of greater scope, in which franchises such as ‘Stranger Things’, ‘Star Wars’ and the “Spider-Verse”, as well as the regulatory limits of the use of artificial intelligence in the audiovisual industry, are at stake.
With information from Variety.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Seedance 2.0? Seedance 2.0 is an AI video generator developed by ByteDance.
- Why is Hollywood concerned about Seedance 2.0? Hollywood is concerned because Seedance 2.0 can generate realistic videos using copyrighted material without authorization.
- What actions have studios taken against ByteDance? Studios including Disney, Netflix, Sony, Warner Bros., and Paramount have sent cease and desist letters to ByteDance.
