Hollywood studios are pushing back against a Chinese-owned AI platform after it allowed users to create realistic videos using copyrighted content from major American franchises.

ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, launched Seedance 2.0 on February 12, which allows users to generate lifelike videos from simple text prompts. Users quickly recreated scenes from influencer videos and Hollywood action sequences, prompting a rapid response from studios.

Disney reportedly led the effort, sending a letter to ByteDance accusing the company of including “a pirated library of Disney’s copyrighted characters from Star Wars, Marvel, and other Disney franchises, as if Disney’s coveted intellectual property were free public domain clip art.” Disney attorney David Singer called the practice “willful, pervasive, and totally unacceptable,” alleging the company was reproducing, distributing, and creating derivative works without authorization.

In response, ByteDance told CNBC that it “respects intellectual property rights” and is taking steps to prevent unauthorized use of materials and likenesses by users. The company pledged to strengthen safeguards within Seedance 2.0.

The Motion Picture Association, representing Disney, Netflix, Paramount, Skydance, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros., and Discovery, also issued a statement condemning the AI platform. MPA Chairman Charles Rivkin said the service engaged in “unauthorized use of U.S. copyrighted works on a massive scale,” threatening “millions of American jobs” and disregarding established copyright laws.

Support groups like the Human Artistry Campaign, representing SAG-AFTRA and the Directors Guild of America, criticized Seedance 2.0 as “attacking every creator around the world.” The group added, “Stealing human creators’ work in an attempt to replace them with AI-generated slop is destructive to our culture: stealing isn’t innovation.”

Seedance 2.0 gained rapid popularity as users recreated high-profile fight scenes and iconic characters, including Superman, the Incredible Hulk, and Dragon Ball Z, as well as staged encounters between Hollywood stars such as Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt.

The move by Hollywood underscores growing concerns over AI platforms using copyrighted material without permission and the potential impact on the American creative workforce.