Beijing News reports:
Alcon Entertainment sues Elon Musk’s Tesla, claiming that the car manufacturer used images from the 2017 science fiction film “Blade Runner 2049” without permission.
According to a lawsuit filed today in the US District Court for the Central District of California, Alcon alleges that Tesla used these images to generate new visual effects for the company’s cars.
Earlier this month, the company unveiled the autonomous Cybercab.
On the day before the Cybercab event, Tesla and Warner Bros. Discovery approached Alcon Entertainment for permission to use images from the film. Alcon refused to cooperate, citing concerns about any association with Musk, Tesla, or any of his other companies, calling Musk “problematic.”
Lawyers wrote in the complaint, “Any prudent brand considering a collaboration with Tesla must take into account Musk’s grandiose, highly politicized, capricious, and arbitrary behavior, which at times has evolved into hate speech.”
However, Alcon’s lawyers argued that after Alcon refused to allow the use of “Blade Runner 2049” images for the October 10th event, an AI image generator was used to create similar images for the event. (Warner Bros. Discovery is also named as a defendant in Alcon’s lawsuit.)
Above: A scene from “Blade Runner 2049”. Alcon Entertainment/Warner Bros. Image below: AI-generated version of the scene used by Tesla.
During a live event, Musk mentioned “Blade Runner” and stated that Tesla envisions an exciting future of transportation that contrasts with the bleak, dystopian depictions in science fiction novels like the “Blade Runner” series. He said, “I love ‘Blade Runner,’ but I’m not sure if we want that future.” “I think we want the cool stuff he wears, but not the bleak dystopia.”
Alcon is not satisfied with this.
The studio’s lawyer stated in today’s filing, “The only Hollywood film that Musk has actually discussed promoting his new, completely autonomous, AI-driven network taxi is ‘BR2049,’ and it’s not a coincidence that this film happens to have a beautifully designed, AI-driven, fully autonomous car throughout the entire story.”
Musk is a staunch supporter of former US President Donald Trump and has actively campaigned for the Republican candidate, appearing at rallies and using his social network, X, to deceive users with pro-Trump tweets. Last month, Trump even suggested that Musk should have a place in his administration to clean up bureaucratic inefficiency.
Alcon is seeking unspecified damages, arguing that the misuse of copyrighted material has economically harmed their ongoing negotiations and put future “Blade Runner” projects, including automotive partnerships and TV shows, at risk.
Alcon Entertainment stated, “The irreparable association between BR2049 and Tesla in the global media tapestry cannot be undone.” “If, as here, a company or its principals actually do not agree with Musk’s extreme political and social views, potential brand connections with Tesla become even more concerning.”
