18 August 2026

ByteDance and Hollywood studios agree on AI copyright safeguards

The Motion Picture Association, representing Disney, Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, signed a formal agreement with ByteDance covering copyright protections across all its AI video models including those powering TikTok and CapCut.
The deal followed an MPA cease-and-desist letter sent in February accusing ByteDance's AI of using copyrighted material without permission. ByteDance subsequently suspended a global rollout of one model and committed to stronger safeguards.
ByteDance's latest video model releases, Seedream 5.0 Pro and Seedance 2.5, now include what the MPA calls meaningful protections against unauthorized use of copyrighted films and TV shows.

How it was covered

ByteDance reached a formal framework with the Motion Picture Association to implement film and TV copyright protections into its Seedance and Seedream video models, following an MPA cease-and-desist over a viral Tom Cruise deepfake. The newsletter notes this is one domino among multiple Chinese AI video labs creating a tough enforcement problem for the MPA.

Reported by Engadget