David Edwards
Elon Musk, Tesla, and Warner Bros. Discovery are facing a lawsuit from Alcon Entertainment, producers of Blade Runner 2049, over alleged copyright infringement involving AI-generated imagery used at a Tesla event. Alcon filed the lawsuit on October 21 in Los Angeles federal court, accusing the trio of violating the film’s intellectual property during an October 10 event where Tesla promoted its autonomous “Cybercab.”
Alleged Copyright Violation Involving AI Art
According to the lawsuit, Tesla initially sought permission to use a still from Blade Runner 2049 to promote its robotaxi at an event held at Warner Bros.’ Burbank studio lot. Alcon denied the request, citing a desire to distance the film from Musk’s controversial political and social views. Despite this, the lawsuit claims Tesla went ahead by using an AI-generated image resembling a scene from the 2017 film.
The contested image, displayed for 11 seconds during Musk’s presentation, reportedly depicted a man in a long coat gazing at a dystopian city, echoing iconic visuals from Blade Runner 2049. Alcon’s complaint suggests Musk struggled to justify the use of the image during his presentation.
Financial Implications and Brand Concerns
Alcon argues that the unauthorized use of the image constitutes “massive economic theft,” estimating that the value of the brand affiliation could reach six figures or higher. The producers also raised concerns that the incident could harm potential partnerships for an upcoming Blade Runner TV series, particularly by associating the brand with Musk, whose political views have sparked controversy.
The lawsuit further criticizes Musk’s behavior, alleging that any potential brand partnership with Tesla must consider his “highly politicized” actions and public statements, which sometimes “veer into hate speech.” Musk has recently been associated with Republican political events and accused of spreading misinformation and conspiracy theories via his social media platform, X (formerly Twitter).
Tesla’s Robotaxi Vision and Event Highlights
During the event, Musk introduced Tesla’s fully autonomous Cybercab, promising that the vehicle would be available by 2027 at a price below $30,000. However, Tesla’s autonomous driving technology has faced skepticism, as none of the company’s current vehicles can operate without human oversight, despite Musk’s long-standing promises to deliver fully self-driving cars.
