The Motion Picture Association (MPA) and TikTok owner ByteDance have signed a deal to stop Hollywood content from being misused in deepfake videos and AI images. The agreement sets clear rules for ByteDance’s AI tools after concerns over copyright abuse.
This move comes after the MPA sent a cease-and-desist letter earlier this year. The issue started when users created viral clips, including a fake Tom Cruise vs. Brad Pitt fight, using ByteDance’s Seedream and Seedance AI models. MPA Chairman Charles Rivkin said the deal puts “meaningful guardrails” in place to protect studio work.
The framework applies to TikTok’s image models and also covers CapCut and Dreamina. The MPA noted that newer versions of Seedream and Seedance already show stronger protections against IP misuse. ByteDance general counsel John Rogovin called the deal an “important framework for continued collaboration” as AI tools keep evolving.
Even with this agreement, the bigger fight over copyright and AI is not over. Studios like Warner Bros., NBCUniversal, and Disney are still suing Midjourney, arguing that its use of copyrighted material is not fair use.
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For now, the MPA and ByteDance deal shows that protecting IP and creative work in the AI era is possible. But with lawsuits still active, the entertainment industry’s battle over AI and copyright is far from finished.
