Netflix has sent a formal request to the Chinese company ByteDance to cease using its intellectual property in the generative model Seedance 2.0. The streaming service has given three days to remove videos and images created based on its franchises.
The letter provides specific examples. Among them are the recreation of scenes from the finale of "Stranger Things" with detailed characters and monsters, the generation of episodes of "Squid Game", as well as images of the characters of "Bridgerton" in costumes from the fourth season. The animated project "K-Pop: Demon Hunters" is also specifically mentioned, the style and characters of which, according to Netflix, were also reproduced by the model.
The company states that ByteDance has not received permission to use the materials for training the system or to create derivative works. The document emphasizes that this is a direct and secondary copyright infringement, and references to fair use are inapplicable because the product is commercial in nature and reproduces original content.
The conflict unfolds against the backdrop of a broader campaign by Hollywood studios against the unauthorized use of their content in AI. Previously, Warner Bros. Discovery, Disney, and Paramount made similar demands to ByteDance. Netflix has become the latest major company to officially join this confrontation.
ByteDance has previously stated that it is strengthening measures to protect intellectual property and developing additional restrictions. However, Netflix has made it clear that such statements are not enough. If the requirements are not met within the specified time frame, the dispute may move to the legal plane.