Seedance 2.0 AI generates videos infringing Japanese anime copyrights
ByteDance's Seedance 2.0 video generation AI, released in February 2026, was used to create and spread videos featuring Japanese anime characters and political figures without authorization, raising copyright infringement concerns. The Japanese government announced an investigation into the matter and communication with ByteDance regarding remedial action.
What happened
ByteDance released Seedance 2.0, a video generation AI, in February 2026 in beta form on TikTok. The system can generate up to 15-second videos from audio, images, video, and text inputs.
Users employed Seedance 2.0 to generate and distribute videos featuring Japanese anime characters including Ultraman, Detective Conan, Dragon Ball's Sun Wukong, and Doraemon, as well as videos depicting Prime Minister Takakane Ichishi in conflict scenarios with anime characters. These videos circulated widely on social media without authorization from copyright holders.
Reported impact
Anime copyright holders and the Japanese government expressed concern about unauthorized use of copyrighted characters. Officials emphasized that "without consent from copyright holders, the use of existing copyrighted works is unacceptable."
Index analysis
The videos generated by Seedance 2.0 replicated the appearance and likeness of protected characters. The tool's capabilities in character expression consistency and video quality enabled the creation of convincing infringing content.
Governance controls
Japan's AI strategy minister instructed government staff to urgently grasp the situation and communicate with ByteDance regarding remedial efforts. The minister stated that guidance and advice under the AI Promotion Law (effective 2025) would be considered after the actual circumstances were understood.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.