Netflix Issues Cease-and-Desist to ByteDance Over TikTok AI Video Tool

Netflix has issued a formal cease-and-desist notice to ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, over its AI video generator Seedance 2.0. The tool enables users to create content inspired by Netflix series such as *Stranger Things*, *Bridgerton*, *Las guerreras K-pop*, and *Squid Game*—known in Catalan as *El juego del calamar*.

In a letter sent on Tuesday, Netflix accused ByteDance of lacking authorisation to use its works for training the model or producing derivative videos. Mindy LeMoine, the company's head of litigation, stated in a communication reported by Deadline that ByteDance's actions amount to "a direct infringement of copyright." She dismissed any claim of fair use, arguing that the activities involve protected works to build "a competing commercial product" that replicates originals. Netflix emphasised it will not tolerate its intellectual property being treated "like free public-domain clip art."

The platform demanded a response within three business days and outlined four specific remedies to avert litigation. These include halting all generative production through immediate technical safeguards blocking content resembling Netflix characters, titles, or settings; deleting any Netflix-owned material illegally used for training; removing generated videos featuring its elements from all ByteDance platforms; and providing a detailed account of instances where Seedance produced content from prompts tied to Netflix properties. Netflix also called for revoking access to commercial partners or users who created unauthorised derivatives.

The move follows similar pressure from the Motion Picture Association (MPA), representing major Hollywood studios, which urged ByteDance to stop large-scale unauthorised use of protected works. Warner Bros, Disney, and Paramount have reportedly lodged comparable complaints regarding their own catalogues.