Netflix Warns ByteDance To Stop Stranger Things AI Seedance Videos, Or Else
Netflix “will not stand by and watch ByteDance treat our valuable IP as free public domain art,” the broadcaster told the TikTok owner tonight. In a short and strong cease-and-desist letter over Seedance 2.0, Netflix wants AI-generated videos Stranger Things, KPop Demon Hunters, Squid game again Bridgerton close now.
With their two-page correspondence and possible legal action to follow, Netflix linked arms and lawyers with Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount (their rival to buy WBD), and Bob Iger-run Disney to stop user-generated content that disrespected their top shows, movies and other moneymakers. Although Amazon, Apple, Universal owned by Sony and Comcast have not yet joined the group, it is clear now with Netflix led by Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters in the C&D house, this is a serious thing.
How much?
However, Netflix’s chief litigation officer Mindy LeMoine isn’t pretending to be personal like WBD’s Wayne M. Smith did earlier Tuesday with her predecessor and now ByteDance Global General Counsel John Rogovin. Then again, LeMoine cuts to the chase with very specific quotes:
“Current forensic evidence indicates that Seedance is being used to produce unauthorized derivative works including, but not limited to:
● Bridgerton: An unofficial preview of Season 4 content, featuring the cast in a masquerade ball setting. These effects are similar to direct, narratively important dresses like Sophie Baek’s “Lady in Silver” dress. ByteDance even promoted this content using the #Bridgerton hashtags through its official social media channels, such as @BytePlusGlobal.
● Unusual things: A high-fidelity reboot of the series finale, featuring detailed reproductions of iconic characters and monsters from the series, including the Demogorgons and Mindflayer.
● Squid game: Seedance reproduced the sets of “Red Light, Green Light” and the iconic doll Young-hee. This includes unauthorized crossovers, such as inserting real-world figures like Elon Musk into the game’s squid.
● KPop Demon Hunters: Seedance recreated the specific visual style and character designs of our animated musical feature, including the main character Rumi.”
‘KPop Demon Hunters’
Netflix
The C&D letter continues: “Netflix has never authorized ByteDance to use our content to reproduce these images or videos. ByteDance’s activities are intentional, and constitute direct or secondary copyright infringement. The use of copyrighted works to create a competing commercial product, especially one that reproduces the original, is not protected by fair use.”
Unlike Disney, Paramount and WBD, Netflix is in full FAFO mode here and is giving the Chinese tech company three days to straighten things out. This comes one day after ByteDance vowed to “take steps to strengthen current protections as we work to prevent unauthorized use of intellectual property and user likenesses.”
Netflix is not buying.
“To avoid immediate litigation, Netflix wants ByteDance to:
1. Stop generating output: Immediately use security guidelines to prevent Seedance from generating any content such as Netflix-protected characters, titles, or settings.
2. Remove infringing content: Remove all pirated Netflix content from the training datasets, and scrub all existing Seedance-produced videos featuring the Netflix IP from all ByteDance-controlled platforms.
3. Report All Violations: Provide an accounting of all instances where Seedance has produced content based on information related to Netflix IP.
4. Opt Out of Third Party Access: Revoke access for any commercial partners or API users currently using Seedance to perform unauthorized Netflix-based activities.”
So, as Netflix awaits ByteDance’s response later this week, will it be Amazon, Apple, Sony or Universal that sends the next letter? Stay tuned.
