Photo Credit: Seedance 2.5
The Motion Picture Association and ByteDance have inked a deal for IP protections across ByteDance’s AI products, including Seedance and Seedream.
On Monday, the Motion Picture Association and ByteDance announced a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in the development of a framework to protect the film and TV industries’ intellectual property across the TikTok parent’s suite of generative AI products, including video and image generators Seedance and Seedream.
The move comes months after the MPA sent ByteDance a cease-and-desist letter following the release of Seedance 2.0, which quickly saw creators producing content that included actors such as Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise. At the time, the MPA accused the company of disregarding “well-established copyright law that protects the rights of creators and underpins millions of American jobs.”
That led to both sides sitting down together to develop IP protections in ByteDance’s models, which are reportedly reflected in the release of Seedance 2.5 and Seedream 5.0 Pro last month. Both generators are now available across ByteDance’s collection of apps, including TikTok, U.S.-based TikTok, CapCut, and Dreamina.
“Today’s agreement illustrates our belief that copyright is a cornerstone of the film and television industry—and reinforces our commitment to protect creative content,” said MPA Chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin. “For the past several months, we have had constructive engagement with ByteDance to implement meaningful guardrails on Seedance and Seedream, and this MOU reflects our shared determination to continue our work together to further fortify those guardrails.”
The announcement reflects Hollywood’s broader efforts to navigate the challenges posed by generative AI technology. ByteDance has similar deals in place in the music industry with major IP owners like UMG—though ByteDance only has a non-controlling (<20%) interest in the U.S.-based TikTok, so it’s difficult to ascertain their reach.
“ByteDance respects the intellectual property rights that underpin creative industries around the world, and we believe responsible innovation in AI goes hand in hand with meaningful protections for rightsholders,” said John Rogovin, ByteDance’s general counsel. “We appreciate the productive engagement with the MPA and its members as we continue to strengthen safeguards across our generative AI services. This MOU establishes an important framework for continued collaboration as the technology evolves across a variety of products and platforms.”
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