Ever since artificial intelligence truly burst into the global spotlight, we've seen the technology take a variety of licensed products and use it to learn and make its own projects based on characters, stories, even real humans, of whom it does not own a licence to do so. This has caused many to fight back, with actors launching strikes to ensure better protection against AI all while production giants launched legal proceedings to stop their properties being used unlawfully.
The latest development on this front revolves around the AI known as Seedance 2.0, a technology owned by TikTok-owner ByteDance. The AI has been used to create all manner of unlicensed projects, with Warner Bros. and Paramount coming out and threatening legal action should this continue. Now Netflix has joined this decision, backing its production rivals, and sending a cease and desist letter to ByteDance over the AI.
As per Deadline, Netflix has stated in a two-page letter that it "will not stand by and watch ByteDance treat our valued IP as free, public domain clip art," with a particular emphasis on removing AI-generated content based on Stranger Things, KPop Demon Hunters, Squid Game, and Bridgerton, some of its current biggest franchises.
In fact, Netflix talks about each of these franchises specifically, noting that there is "unauthorized depictions of Season 4 content" for Bridgerton that "mirror specific, narratively important costumes like Sophie Baek's "Lady in Silver" gown." As for Stranger Things, Netflix wants "high-fidelity reboots of the series finale" removed, and looking at Squid Game, the request asks for "generated recreations of the "Red Light, Green Light" sets and the iconic Young-hee doll" plus "unauthorized crossovers" to be deleted. And lastly for KPop Demon Hunters, it's the "specific visual style and character designs" that Netflix wants removing.
Netflix adds in its statement that it "has never authorized ByteDance to use our content to generate these images or videos. ByteDance's activities are willful, and constitute direct and secondary copyright infringement. The use of copyrighted works to create a competing commercial product, especially one that regurgitates the original, is not protected by fair use."
As for what Netflix expects as next steps, it states it wants generative content to be ceased, infringed content removed, all infringements identified, and finally, third-party access to Seedance removed.
Do you agree with Netflix's demands?