We have been hearing about Apple launching a cheaper MacBook since last year, and now new information points out that these laptops might launch sooner than expected. According to notable Apple insider Mark Gurman, these cheaper MacBooks could launch next month.

Gurman adds that these MacBooks could cost below $1000 and will launch sometime in March. There is expected to be no downgrade in build quality despite the cheaper price tag. These laptops will be powered by the A18 Pro chip found in iPhone 16 Pros and will have an LCD panel.

The chassis should be made out of aluminum, which will be made using a new shell manufacturing process that is reportedly faster and cheaper. The internal codename for the budget MacBooks is said to be J700.

There will be multiple color options to choose from to appeal to different audiences. Gurman says that Apple has been testing different finishes, including blue, silver, dark grey, light green, pink, and light yellow, though not all of them will be available on the final product.

Other MacBooks expected to arrive later this year include new MacBook Pro variants as well as a MacBook Air with an OLED screen. More details should come out as the launch date approaches.

Hollywood studios and industry groups are criticizing a new artificial intelligence video model, Seedance 2.0, accusing it of enabling widespread copyright infringement shortly after its launch.

ByteDance introduced Seedance 2.0 earlier this week. According to the Wall Street Journal, the updated model is currently available to Chinese users through ByteDance’s Jianying app and will soon roll out globally via the CapCut app.

Seedance 2.0 allows users to generate short videos, currently up to 15 seconds, by entering a text prompt. Similar to OpenAI’s Sora model, the tool has drawn criticism over copyright issues, especially since the model is capable of producing clips that look identical to Hollywood-grade movies.

Concerns escalated after an X user shared a video showing actors Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in a fight scene, claiming it was created using a brief prompt in Seedance 2.0. Rhett Reese, screenwriter of “Deadpool,” responded publicly, expressing concern about the implications for creators.

This was a 2 line prompt in seedance 2. If the hollywood is cooked guys are right maybe the hollywood is cooked guys are cooked too idk. pic.twitter.com/dNTyLUIwAV

— Ruairi Robinson (@RuairiRobinson) February 11, 2026

The Motion Picture Association issued a statement from CEO Charles Rivkin calling on ByteDance to stop what he described as infringing activity. Rivkin stated that the service engaged in unauthorized use of US copyrighted works on a large scale and argued that launching a platform without meaningful safeguards disregards established copyright law that supports American jobs.

The Human Artistry Campaign, supported by Hollywood unions and trade groups, described Seedance 2.0 as an attack on creators globally. The actors’ union SAG-AFTRA said it stands with studios in condemning what it called blatant infringement enabled by the new model.

Cease and Desist Letters Sent

Reports indicate that Seedance-generated videos have included characters owned by The Walt Disney Company, such as Spider-Man, Darth Vader, and Grogu, known as Baby Yoda. Axios reported that Disney sent a cease and desist letter accusing ByteDance of conducting a “virtual smash and grab” of its intellectual property by reproducing, distributing, and creating derivative works featuring its characters.

Disney has taken action against AI firms in other cases, including reportedly sending a cease and desist letter to Google, while also signing a three-year licensing agreement with OpenAI.

Variety reported that Paramount Global also sent ByteDance a cease and desist letter. The letter stated that much of the content produced by the Seed platforms contains detailed depictions of Paramount’s well-known franchises and characters and is often visually and audibly similar to its films and television programs.