Senators Marsha Blackburn and Peter Welch are urging a suspension of the revised edition of ByteDance’s AI app, Seedance, which creates videos featuring real individuals and licensed characters, raising issues concerning copyright and intellectual property.
Seedance 2.0 “stands out as the most blatant case of copyright violation from a ByteDance product so far, and it is imperative that you promptly shut down Seedance and establish effective measures to avert additional infringing content,” Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Welch, D-Vt., stated in a letter addressed to ByteDance CEO Liang Rubo that was initially acquired by CNBC.
Their communication signifies escalating worries on Capitol Hill regarding how AI firms are creating and deploying their models and whether adequate protections exist for those who provide the materials the models train on.
“Responsible global corporations adhere to the law and honor fundamental economic rights, including intellectual property and personal likeness protections,” Blackburn and Welch expressed. They referenced instances of Seedance 2.0 productions, generated after the platform’s launch on February 12, that featured celebrities Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt as well as the Netflix series “Stranger Things.”
A spokesperson for ByteDance indicated in a statement to CNBC that “ByteDance respects intellectual property rights and we are aware of the concerns surrounding Seedance 2.0. We are implementing measures to fortify existing safeguards as we strive to prevent unauthorized usage of intellectual property and likeness by users.”
Concerns extend beyond lawmakers. Hollywood organizations, including the Motion Picture Association, delivered a cease-and-desist notice to ByteDance. As reported by The Information, ByteDance has halted the global rollout of Seedance 2.0.
Up to now, Congress has predominantly adopted a hands-off stance regarding AI regulation. Legislators assert they do not wish to impose limitations that could hinder U.S. companies from innovating and capitalizing on technological advancements ahead of international competitors. Several lawmakers mentioned that due to the rapid pace of the industry, legislation they pondered a few years ago would quickly become outdated and insufficient to address developments like agentic AI.
Nevertheless, senators such as Blackburn and Welch have proposed focused legislation on AI. In August, the pair introduced a bill aimed at assisting artists in safeguarding their copyrighted creations from being exploited for AI training.
