Elon Musk, Tesla Sued Over Blade Runner 2049 Robotaxi Image

Elon Musk took the stage earlier this month at Tesla’s Robotaxi event, showcasing a Cybercab self-driving car, a 20-seater Robovan, and Optimus robots. Though the event was exclusive and invitation-only, one company did not want to be associated with it: Alcon Entertainment, producers of the 2017 science fiction movie, “Blade Runner 2049.”

In a complaint filed on Monday against Tesla, Elon Musk, and Warner Bros Discovery in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, Alcon alleged that Musk used a notable image from “Blade Runner 2049” at the event, even after Alcon denied him permission to use it. The image shows Ryan Gosling, the film’s protagonist, surveying an apocalyptic landscape.

On the left is an image from Blade Runner 2049. On the right is one from Elon Musk’s robitaxi event. The makers are now suing Musk, Tesla and Warner Bros. Discovery for copyright infringement. pic.twitter.com/XsHiviaAm7

— Winter is Coming (@WiCnet) October 21, 2024

When the image appeared on the screen at the Robotaxi presentation, Elon Musk stated: “I love Blade Runner but I don’t know if we want that future. I think we want that duster he’s wearing but not the bleak apocalypse.”

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According to the 41-page lawsuit, Tesla used the original image as training data to generate a similar AI image. The automaker then displayed the AI image for 11 seconds during Musk’s presentation — “a marketing and advertising eternity,” per the complaint. Alcon alleges that Tesla, Musk, and Warner Bros have infringed on copyright and caused “a massive economic theft.”

“The financial magnitude of the misappropriation here was substantial,” the lawsuit reads. “Alcon has spent decades and hundreds of millions of dollars building the BR2049 [Blade Runner 2049] brand into the famous mark that it now is. Prior actual BR2049 contracts linking automotive brands to the Picture have had dollar price tags in the eight figures.”

In the complaint, Alcon also stated it was not partnering with Tesla because of Musk and his “massively amplified, highly politicized, capricious and arbitrary behavior.” There’s now a false connection between the Blade Runner 2049 brand and Musk, “amplifying the damage and confusion risks,” Alcon stated.

Alcon is seeking relief for copyright infringement.

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Alcon’s case against Musk follows legal action undertaken by Scarlett Johansson earlier this year after ChatGPT-maker OpenAI released an AI voice that sounded “eerily similar” to hers.

In that case, a legal expert told Entrepreneur that the issue comes down to how similar the voices are and how the AI voice was created.