Elon Musk took the stage earlier this month at the Tesla's Robotaxi eventshowing a Self-driving cybernetic car, a 20-seat Robovan, and Optimus robots. Although the event was exclusive and by invitation onlyone company did not want to be associated with him: Alcon Entertainment, Manufacturer of the 2017 sci-fi film Blade Runner 2049.
In one complaint filed Monday v. Tesla, Elon Musk and Warner Bros. Discovery in US District Court in Los Angeles, Alcon claimed Musk used a prominent 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 manufacturers are now suing Musk, Tesla and Warner Bros. Discovery of Copyright Infringement. pic.twitter.com/XsHiviaAm7
— Winter is coming (@WiCnet) October 21, 2024
When the image appeared on the screen at the presentation of Robotaxi, Elon Musk DECLARING: “I love Blade Runner, but I don't know if we want that future. I think we want that dust he's wearing, but not the grim apocalypse.”
According to 41-page lawsuitTesla used the original image as training data to generate a similar AI image. The automaker then ran the AI image for 11 seconds during Musk's presentation — “an eternity of marketing and advertising,” according to the complaint. Alcon alleges that Tesla, Musk and Warner Bros. have violated copyright and caused “a massive economic theft.”
“The financial dimensions of the embezzlement here were significant,” the lawsuit states. “Alcon has spent decades and hundreds of millions of dollars building the BR2049 (Blade Runner 2049) brand into the iconic brand it is now. Previous current BR2049 contracts linking automotive brands to Picture have had dollar prices in the eight figures.”
In the complaint, Alcon also stated that it did not partner with Tesla because of Musk and his “massively leveraged, highly politicized, capricious and arbitrary behavior.” There is now a false connection between the Blade Runner 2049 brand and Musk, “reinforcing the risks of harm and confusion,” Alcon said.
Alcon is seeking relief for copyright infringement.
Related: 'One of the most important events': Is Tesla finally unveiling its fully self-driving robot?
The case of Alcon v. Musk follows legal action taken by Scarlett Johansson earlier this year after ChatGPT creator OpenAI released an AI voice that sounded “surprisingly similar” to her.
In that case, said a legal expert The entrepreneur that the issue depends on how similar the voices are and how the AI voice was created.