LOS ANGELES – The Walt Disney Company has launched legal action against Chinese tech giant ByteDance following the launch of its AI video generation model, Seedance 2.0, on Thursday. Disney alleges that the platform illicitly used its copyrighted characters from popular franchises, including Star Wars and Marvel, to train the AI, prompting a cease-and-desist letter to ByteDance.
BREAKING: Disney sends a cease and desist to ByteDance over Seedance 2.0.
Disney claims the AI tool includes pirated characters from Star Wars, Marvel, and other franchises.
Examples mentioned include Spider-Man, Darth Vader, and Grogu.
No lawsuit so far. pic.twitter.com/VcrNu2LevA
— GameRiv (@GamerivGames) February 14, 2026
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The letter, addressed to ByteDance’s global general counsel John Rogovin, claims that Seedance 2.0 is packaged with a “pirated library” of Disney characters, allowing users to reproduce, distribute, and create derivative works featuring iconic figures such as Spider-Man and Baby Yoda. Disney attorney David Singer emphasized that this constitutes widespread copyright infringement, describing it as “unacceptable” and a direct violation of Disney’s intellectual property rights.
Hollywood has largely sided with Disney, with the Motion Picture Association’s CEO, Charles Rivkin, calling for an immediate halt to Seedance 2.0’s use of protected characters. The case highlights ongoing tensions between major entertainment companies and AI developers, as AI-generated content increasingly relies on copyrighted materials for training and output.
Disney has previously defended its intellectual property against AI companies, including Google and Character.AI, successfully forcing adjustments to how these platforms utilize its content. While Disney is open to partnerships with AI firms, it insists that such collaborations occur under clearly defined terms that respect intellectual property rights, citing its recent deal with OpenAI as a positive example.
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The lawsuit signals one of the most high-profile legal challenges by a Hollywood studio against an AI platform to date, underscoring the growing legal and ethical scrutiny of AI-generated media. The outcome of this case could set significant precedents for how copyrighted content is used in AI training and creative applications in the future.