AI could unite warring legacy media companies as copyright controversy grows
Few things have united sharp-elbowed Hollywood players quite like the threat of AI, at least when it comes to copyright issues.
While Paramount and Netflix are duking it out publicly for control of Warner Bros., the two could find themselves on the same team should the current imbroglio with ByteDance over its AI video generator, Seedance, go further.
As we told you last week, Seedance sent shockwaves throughout Hollywood after users posted extremely professional looking videos, generated by typing just a few sentences into a prompt. One featuring Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise fighting on a rooftop in particular drew the attention (and fear) of industry creatives. It also drew the ire of studios’ lawyers, as well as SAG/AFTRA, the Motion Picture Association and CAA for copyright infringement.
After Disney and Paramount sent cease-and-desist letters to ByteDance, the China-based tech giant pledged that it is, “taking steps to strengthen current safeguards,” to prevent “unauthorized use of intellectual property” by its users. (That didn’t do much to quell the growing unrest.)
This week alone, after ByteDance’s statement, Netflix, Sony and Warner Bros sent their own cease-and-desist letters and threatened legal action.
“The users are not the ones at the root cause of the infringement; they are merely building on the foundation of infringement already laid by ByteDance as Seedance comes pre-loaded with Warner Bros. Discovery’s copyrighted characters. That was a deliberate design choice by ByteDance,” Warner Bros. Studios EVP of legal Wayne Smith wrote.
(Smith even pointed out that ByteDance’s top lawyer, John Rogovin, used to hold that same job for them: “You understand the importance and value of Warner Bros. Discovery’s copyrighted works, including the famous copyrighted characters like Superman and Batman that you spent much of your career protecting.”)
Even CAA has gotten involved, putting out its own statement blasting the “brazen disregard for creators rights” by Seedance, (as well as a separate AI firm called Higgsfield). In its statement, the agency added that it is “deeply immersed in critical conversations with SAG-AFTRA and various federal government agencies to develop comprehensive solutions.” (The agency did not elaborate when asked by P6H what government agencies it was referring to.)
There’s still time for this all to have a happy(ish) ending. Seedance is currently available only in China through its Jimeng AI app, (though ByteDance will soon make it to users outside of China through CapCut, a popular video editing tool used by TikTokers). ByteDance is TikTok’s owner, though it sold most of its US-based business to American investors.
