ByteDance strikes deal with Hollywood studios to protect copyright in AI models after Tom Cruise deepfake row

ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, has reached an agreement with Hollywood studios to address intellectual property concerns related to its artificial intelligence models. The Motion Picture Association (MPA), which represents major studios including Disney, Paramount, and Warner Bros. Discovery, announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with ByteDance outlining joint rules aimed at protecting copyrighted content from potential misuse by the company's AI systems.

The MPA described the agreement as a "significant step in cooperation" and noted that ByteDance's latest AI models — Seedream 5.0 Pro and Seedance 2.5 — already show progress in implementing copyright protection mechanisms. The memorandum applies to all of ByteDance's AI models, including those used in TikTok, the joint venture TikTok USDS, as well as in the apps CapCut and Dreamina.

The deal comes after a period of tension between the two sides. In February, the MPA sent a formal letter to ByteDance demanding that the company stop using copyrighted materials in its AI systems. The letter followed the release of a video featuring digital replicas of Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, which raised concerns about unauthorized use of studio content. In response, ByteDance pledged to strengthen measures against unauthorized content use and even paused the global launch of its video generation model Seedance 2.0.

Charles Rivkin, chairman and CEO of the MPA, said that the two parties engaged in "constructive dialogue" following the letter, which led ByteDance to introduce "substantial guardrails" in its AI models. He emphasized that the agreement sets a precedent for responsible AI development in the entertainment industry.

Meanwhile, other technology companies remain under pressure from lawsuits over similar copyright issues, as Hollywood continues to seek legal and regulatory safeguards against AI-generated content that infringes on intellectual property. The MPA's deal with ByteDance is seen as a potential model for future industry-wide agreements, though it remains to be seen whether other AI developers will follow suit.