MPA Calls out Seedance 2.0 for Its Unauthorized Use of Copyrighted Works

As we stated when we saw the first clips from Seedance 2.0 released online, the results might look phenomenal, but, man, do they raise a ton of red flags. The biggest and most obvious flags have to do with copyrights, as pretty much all of the Seedance videos shared online are using IP that they clearly do not have access to.

From Breaking Bad spin-offs, Stranger Things alternative endings, to that viral fight scene between Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, it all looks impressive, sure, but none of it seems to be lawful.

In a rebuke directly to the Chinese company ByteDance, which created and operates Seedance 2.0, the Motion Picture Association has released a statement calling out the company for its “unauthorized use of U.S. copyrighted works on a massive scale.”

Motion Picture Association Statement

In a statement put out by the MPA, the trade association is following up on similar statements that have been issued in the past when other generative AI models had been released, which also clearly appeared to be using copyrighted work.

However, when compared to OpenAI’s Sora or even another Chinese model with Kling, the videos that Seedance 2.0 is creating appear to be on another level in terms of copyright infringement.

Here’s the full statement from the MPA:

“In a single day, the Chinese AI service Seedance 2.0 has engaged in unauthorized use of U.S. copyrighted works on a massive scale. By launching a service that operates without meaningful safeguards against infringement, ByteDance is disregarding well-established copyright law that protects the rights of creators and underpins millions of American jobs. ByteDance should immediately cease its infringing activity.”

What Comes Next?

In many ways, Seedance 2.0 is a fast reminder that we’re still in the early days of generative AI video. The industry appeared to be slowing down a bit at the end of 2025, but 2026 is off to a flying start as we’ve seen new versions from Kling, Veo, and Sora.

The jumps we’ve seen in the past few weeks, in particular, have been quite alarming, to say the least. Much of the results might still look like “AI slop” due to some awkward acting and editing, but Seedance 2.0 is truly a major step forward for the technology.

All of this is leading towards more clashes, though, between these AI companies and models and the artists whose work is clearly being used to train and develop them. And that’s where, and why, this fight is starting to heat up.