Florida Launches Criminal Probe Into OpenAI Over FSU Shooting Incident 
Intel Stock Surges as AI Chip Demand Drives Strong Q2 Forecast 
U.S. Warns Allies Over Alleged Chinese AI IP Theft Linked to DeepSeek 
PLS Reports Record Lithium Output as EV Demand Fuels Market Growth 
Chinese Chip Stocks Surge on AI Boom and Domestic Tech Push 
Nvidia Pushes 800V Data Center Power Systems to Boost Efficiency and Cut Costs 
DeepSeek V4 Launch Signals China’s Growing AI Independence with Huawei Chips 
Taiwan Court Fines Tokyo Electron Unit $4.78M in Major TSMC Trade Secrets Case 
Advantest Stock Falls on Weak Outlook Despite Strong AI-Driven Results 
Strait of Hormuz Shipping Crisis Deepens as Traffic Plunges Amid Iran-U.S. Tensions 
Brazil Pension Fund Crackdown After Banco Master Collapse Raises Investment Concerns 
SMC Corp Stock Surges as Palliser Capital Pushes for Major Share Buyback 
Microsoft Commits $18 Billion to Expand AI and Cloud Infrastructure in Australia 
Brazil Blocks Prediction Market Platforms, Tightens Derivatives Trading Rules 
Judge Dismisses Elon Musk’s Fraud Claims Against OpenAI, Trial to Proceed on Remaining Allegations 
U.S. Demand for Alternative Satellite Providers Remains Strong Amid SpaceX Regulatory Push 
Amazon Stock Rises as Meta Expands AWS Partnership for AI Infrastructure 
Disney has sent a cease-and-desist letter to ByteDance, accusing the Chinese tech giant of using copyrighted Disney characters to train and power its Seedance 2.0 AI video generator without authorization, according to a source familiar with the matter. The dispute highlights growing tensions between major entertainment companies and artificial intelligence developers over intellectual property rights and AI-generated content.
In the letter, Disney reportedly claims that Seedance 2.0 was pre-packaged with a pirated library of characters from blockbuster franchises such as Star Wars and Marvel. The media conglomerate alleges that these copyrighted characters were presented as if they were public-domain assets. According to the source, Seedance has reproduced, distributed, and created derivative works featuring well-known figures including Spider-Man and Darth Vader, raising serious concerns about copyright infringement and unauthorized use of intellectual property.
ByteDance told the BBC it plans to strengthen safeguards within its Seedance 2.0 AI video tool to prevent the misuse of copyrighted characters and celebrity likenesses. However, the company did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment. The move was first reported by Axios, while Variety noted that Paramount Skydance has also issued a cease-and-desist letter to ByteDance, accusing the firm of “blatant infringement” involving its own intellectual property.
Seedance 2.0, launched last week, has quickly gained traction in China. Viral AI-generated videos include a cinematic fight scene featuring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. The AI model has drawn comparisons to DeepSeek and earned praise for generating high-quality, cinematic storylines from simple prompts.
Disney has previously taken action against AI platforms, including Character.AI, over unauthorized character usage. Notably, in December, Disney signed a licensing agreement with OpenAI, allowing the use of characters from Star Wars, Pixar, and Marvel in OpenAI’s Sora video generator, signaling a strategic approach to AI partnerships while protecting its intellectual property rights.
