Earlier this month, Elon Musk introduced Tesla’s latest innovation, the Cybercab robotaxi, during a presentation where he displayed a slide reminiscent of the film Blade Runner 2049. This slide featured an image of a person in a trench coat against a backdrop resembling a desert-like landscape with high-rise buildings, familiar to fans of the movie. Following this event, a lawsuit has been filed against Musk by a producer of the movie for copyright infringement. According to The New York Times, Alcon Entertainment has accused him of utilizing AI-generated images that closely mimic scenes from Blade Runner 2049, including one featuring a likeness of actor Ryan Gosling. Alcon stated that it had previously denied Musk, Tesla, and Warner Bros. Discovery permission to use any imagery from the film for the Cybercab event. Consequently, these companies are also named as defendants in the lawsuit.
Alcon has characterized Tesla’s use of AI to create images that closely resemble scenes from the movie as an "intentionally malicious gambit." The company claims that by linking the product announcement to the film, Tesla made the event more appealing to a global audience, thus misappropriating the Blade Runner 2049 brand to promote Tesla vehicles. The lawsuit argues that this connection between Musk and the film has financial repercussions for Alcon, highlighting the situation as "massive economic theft." Alcon is reportedly in negotiations with other potential automotive partners for its upcoming television series, Blade Runner 2099.
In their complaint, Alcon emphasized the risks any brand could face when considering a partnership with Tesla, citing Musk’s unpredictable behavior, which they claim can sometimes border on hate speech. Alcon expressed strong objection to any association with Musk or his companies, asserting that Musk was personally aware of their refusal to allow the use of Blade Runner 2049 imagery. The complaint states that Musk’s incorporation of elements from ‘BR2049’ in the presentation was both improper and unauthorized. During the Cybercab event, Musk did mention his admiration for the Blade Runner franchise but expressed reservations about wanting such a future.
Alcon also noted that Musk has a history of making divisive and controversial statements on social media, including support for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and instances of retweeting false information. The lawsuit describes the movie still that Tesla allegedly used as "one of the most iconic images" from Blade Runner 2049. An image from Tesla’s live stream matches this description, while a still from the film corroborates Alcon’s claims.
