TL;DR:
- Alcon Entertainment sues Elon Musk, Tesla, and Warner Bros. Discovery for copyright infringement over AI-generated ‘Blade Runner 2049’ imagery used at Tesla’s robotaxi event
- Alcon denied permission to use iconic still from the movie, but defendants allegedly used a similar AI-generated image anyway
- Alcon expresses concern over affiliation with Musk due to his controversial behavior and the potential damage to the ‘Blade Runner 2049’ brand
- Warner Bros. Pictures’ distribution rights for the movie are limited and restricted
Alcon Entertainment, the production company behind the 2017 sci-fi film “Blade Runner 2049,” has filed a lawsuit against Elon Musk, Tesla, and Warner Bros. Discovery for alleged copyright infringement. The suit, filed on Monday in federal court in Los Angeles, accuses the defendants of using an AI-generated image reminiscent of a scene from the movie to promote Tesla’s robotaxi concept at a recent event held at Warner Bros. Discovery’s studio lot in Burbank, California.
According to the lawsuit, Alcon had denied the defendants’ request to use “an iconic still” from “Blade Runner 2049” at the event. However, during the presentation, an image was displayed for 11 seconds that bore a striking resemblance to a scene featuring Ryan Gosling’s character looking into an apocalyptic world. The image was shown as Musk mentioned “Blade Runner” and “a specifically ‘apocalyptic’ future” while touting the Tesla Cybercab, which he said would go into production before 2027.
Alcon stated that it did not want to be affiliated with Musk or Tesla due to the billionaire’s “highly politicized, capricious and arbitrary behavior, which sometimes veers into hate speech.” The company expressed concern that the “false affiliation” between “Blade Runner 2049” and Tesla “is irreparably entangled in the global media tapestry,” amplifying the risks of damage and confusion.
The lawsuit also notes that while Warner Bros. Pictures was Alcon’s domestic distributor for the 2017 theatrical release of the movie and still retains some domestic distribution rights, these rights are subject to limitations and restrictions.
Representatives for Tesla, Musk, and Warner Bros. Discovery have not yet responded to requests for comment on the matter.
