ADNOC Gas Targets Up to $4B Profit in 2026 
Western Digital Q4 Earnings Beat Estimates as FY2027 Outlook Tops Expectations 
Daimler Truck Q2 Profit Falls 18%, 2026 Outlook Raised 
DeepSeek to Raise AI API Prices as Demand for New Models Surges 
Nvidia Seen Beating Q2 Targets as Vera Rubin Cycle Begins 
Nintendo Shares Jump as Switch 2 Sales Boost Earnings 
SpaceX Targets Starship Flight 14 With First V3 Starlink Satellite Launch 
Airbnb Stock Jumps After Q2 Earnings Beat, Strong 2026 Outlook 
SK Hynix, Samsung Lead Asian Chip Stock Selloff After Sandisk, Western Digital Outlook 
Berkshire Hathaway Cash Falls as Abel Boosts Stock Buybacks 
Samsung, SK Hynix Test AMEC Chipmaking Tools for China Backup Plan 
Treasury Wine Estates Shares Jump as U.S. Overhaul Lifts FY2026 Outlook 
Meta Ordered to Pay $567M Over Child Safety Violations in New Mexico 
Mercedes-Benz Stock Offers Deep-Value Potential as Citi Sees Recovery Catalysts 
Alphabet Stock Slides as Google AI Pioneer Jeff Dean Exits to Launch Discovery Loop 
Deutsche Bank Upgrades Persimmon to Buy After Strong First-Half Results 
Delta Flight Makes Emergency Landing in Atlanta After Cockpit Fumes Reported 
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.
