Alcon Entertainment Sues Elon Musk for Copyright Infringement Over Images from Blade Runner 2049

Alcon Entertainment has filed a lawsuit against Elon Musk's Tesla for copyright infringement, alleging that the car company used images from the 2017 sci-fi movie "Blade Runner 2049" without obtaining the necessary permissions from the production company.

This lawsuit, submitted in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, states that Tesla used these images during the presentation of its self-driving Cybercab, which took place earlier this month.

Just a day before the Cybercab launch event, Tesla and Warner Bros. Discovery—who released the sequel to Blade Runner and hosted the event—reached out to Alcon Entertainment seeking approval to use images from the film. However, Alcon declined the request. The company expressed concerns about being linked to Musk, whom they labeled as "problematic," as well as Tesla and Musk's other ventures.

In their legal complaint, Alcon's attorneys stated, "Any prudent brand considering any Tesla partnership has to take Musk’s massively amplified, highly politicized, capricious and arbitrary behavior, which sometimes veers into hate speech, into account."

After Alcon refused permission for the use of Blade Runner 2049 images, AI-generated visuals were created as a substitute for the event, according to Alcon's legal team. Warner Bros. Discovery is also named as a defendant in the lawsuit.

During the online event on X, Musk referenced Blade Runner, suggesting that Tesla is envisioning a bright future in transportation. He contrasted this with the bleak, dystopian themes presented in the Blade Runner films. Musk stated, "I love Blade Runner, but I don't know if we want that future. I think we want that duster he is wearing, but not the bleak apocalypse."

Alcon Entertainment was not pleased with Musk's comments. The studio's attorneys noted, "It was hardly coincidental that the only specific Hollywood film which Musk actually discussed to pitch his new, fully autonomous, AI-driven cybercab was BR2049—a film which just happens to feature a strikingly designed, artificially intelligent, fully autonomous car throughout the story."

Musk, a known supporter of former U.S. President Donald Trump, has been actively campaigning for the Republican nominee, making public appearances at rallies and posting tweets endorsing Trump on his platform, X. Recently, Trump even implied that Musk could play a role in his administration to tackle bureaucratic challenges.

In the lawsuit, Alcon is seeking unspecified damages, arguing that the unauthorized use of their copyrighted materials has caused financial damage. They assert that it has jeopardized ongoing negotiations and future projects related to Blade Runner, including potential partnerships with automotive companies and a planned television series.

Alcon Entertainment stated, "The false affiliation between BR2049 and Tesla is irreparably entangled in the global media tapestry. If, as here, a company or its principals do not actually agree with Musk’s extreme political and social views, then a potential brand affiliation with Tesla is even more issue-fraught."

lawsuit, copyright, Tesla, Blade, Runner