Alcon Entertainment, the production company behind “Blade Runner 2049”, has launched a lawsuit against Elon Musk’s Tesla and Warner Bros. Discovery, accusing them of using visuals from the iconic sci-fi film without permission.
The legal dispute centers around Tesla’s unveiling of its Cybercab, a fully autonomous vehicle, on 11 October 2024.
During the event, held at Warner Bros.’ Burbank studio lot, images resembling scenes from “Blade Runner 2049” appeared on screen.
Alcon argues that these images were created by feeding stills from the film into AI image generators after the production company had expressly denied Tesla permission to use its copyrighted material.
Just one day before the event, Tesla, in collaboration with Warner Bros. Discovery, sought permission from Alcon Entertainment to feature images from “Blade Runner 2049” as part of the Cybercab’s promotion.
Alcon, wary of being associated with Musk and his companies, swiftly denied the request.
"Any prudent brand considering any Tesla partnership has to take Musk’s massively amplified, highly politicised, capricious and arbitrary behaviour, which sometimes veers into hate speech, into account," the company’s attorneys stated in their complaint.
Despite this firm refusal, Alcon alleges that Tesla, undeterred, resorted to creating AI-generated visuals that closely mimicked the aesthetic of the film.
During the Cybercab launch event, Elon Musk referenced Blade Runner directly, highlighting the stark contrast between the dystopian future portrayed in the film and the future Tesla envisions.
“I love Blade Runner, but I don't know if we want that future,” Musk mused, adding humorously, “I think we want that duster he is wearing, but not the bleak apocalypse.”
As Musk spoke, a screen behind him displayed an image eerily reminiscent of a Blade Runner scene—a man in a duster coat standing before a desolate cityscape.
This image, Alcon claims, was an AI-generated version of a still from “Blade Runner 2049”, used without their consent.
Top-bottom: A scene from the film “Blade Runner 2049” vs the ai-generated image by Tesla
Alcon’s lawsuit emphasises the significant financial and creative impact of Tesla’s actions.
According to the company, the unauthorised use of Blade Runner imagery has disrupted ongoing negotiations related to the franchise, putting future projects at risk, including a planned television series and potential automotive collaborations.
Alcon’s attorneys argue that the association with Tesla, particularly given Musk’s controversial public persona, has caused irreparable harm to the Blade Runner brand.
“The false affiliation between BR2049 and Tesla is irreparably entangled in the global media tapestry,” the lawsuit states.
Beyond the issue of copyright infringement, Alcon’s legal team made it clear that their refusal to grant permission was also driven by concerns about Elon Musk’s political and social views.
Musk, a vocal supporter of former U.S. President Donald Trump, has been actively campaigning for the Republican nominee.
His increasing public alignment with Trump’s ideology has raised eyebrows, with some, including Alcon, distancing themselves from the billionaire.
The lawsuit goes so far as to state that any association with Musk is “issue-fraught” due to his “extreme political and social views,” further complicating any potential partnerships.
Musk’s admiration for sci-fi films, especially Blade Runner, has been well-documented.
In previous public statements, he has openly credited the film for influencing Tesla’s designs.
In a X post from 2023, Musk even described Tesla’s Cybertruck as “an armoured personnel carrier from the future – what Bladerunner would have driven.”
Yet, it seems that this homage to the film has now landed him in legal trouble.
Alcon’s lawsuit suggests that Musk and Tesla deliberately chose to feature “Blade Runner 2049” during the Cybercab launch because of the film’s iconic depiction of futuristic, autonomous vehicles, similar to the very product Tesla was promoting.
While much of the lawsuit focuses on Tesla’s actions, Warner Bros. Discovery has also been named as a defendant.
Alcon claims that despite the event being held on Warner Bros.’ lot, the company did not have the right to grant Tesla permission to use “Blade Runner 2049” imagery.
The lawsuit argues that Warner Bros., as the distributor of the film, should have sought clearance from Alcon, who retains the copyright to the film, especially given that the Cybercab event was livestreamed globally.
Alcon’s attorneys allege that Warner Bros. “understood the unauthorised nature of the image” but failed to prevent its use.
While the lawsuit does not specify the exact financial compensation Alcon is seeking, it is clear that the production company is aiming to hold Tesla and Warner Bros. accountable for what they describe as a blatant violation of copyright law.
Alcon argues that Tesla’s actions have devalued the Blade Runner brand and jeopardised future opportunities for collaboration and revenue generation.
The production company is determined to prevent any further unauthorised use of their intellectual property, particularly in association with brands or individuals whose values they do not share.
Interestingly, this is not the first time that Musk’s Tesla designs have drawn comparisons to iconic science fiction films.
Director Alex Proyas, known for his 2004 film I, Robot, recently criticised Musk for the similarities between Tesla’s technology and the futuristic designs in his film.
In a post on X, Proyas joked, “Hey Elon, Can I have my designs back please?” alongside a side-by-side comparison of Tesla’s vehicles and robots from I, Robot.
While it remains unclear whether this was intended as a serious accusation or a lighthearted jab, it highlights a growing perception that Tesla’s futuristic designs may owe more to Hollywood than previously acknowledged.
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