Film production company Alcon Entertainment has filed a lawsuit against Elon Musk and Tesla for allegedly using images inspired by the film Blade Runner 2049 at a recent event, despite being denied permission. They allege Tesla requested the images on the day of the event, but then used them without permission.
The lawsuit names Elon Musk, Tesla, and Warner Brothers Discovery (which hosted the on-set event) as defendants. Alcon alleges that the move is copyright infringement and a “deliberately malicious” ploy to make the event more appealing to a global audience by using the Blade Runner brand to compete with Tesla’s products.
The long-awaited launch of the Cybercab line of vehicles has been dubbed “We, Robot,” a likely reference to Isaac Asimov’s famous work “I, Robot” and the 2004 film of the same name.
Tesla unveiled a fully autonomous car, without conventional controls like a steering wheel and pedals. During the presentation, there was an AI-generated image that resembled a scene from Blade Runner 2049, where Ryan Gosling's character looks out over a post-apocalyptic world.
While Elon Musk did not immediately respond to the lawsuit, he has repeatedly referenced Blade Runner, the 1982 sci-fi classic that depicts a dystopian future and environmental collapse.
When talking about the Cybertruck's design before, Musk shared that he wanted the car to "look futuristic, like the cyberpunk style of Blade Runner." In 2019, Musk also shared a link to the opening of the movie on his personal page.
During the event, Elon Musk emphasized his love for Blade Runner, but also expressed uncertainty about whether he would want to live in that world. Alcon Entertainment claims that Tesla intentionally used the image to exploit the Blade Runner brand and increase the appeal of Tesla's event, despite the request being denied.
Alcon said it refused to grant the license because it was concerned that Elon Musk's "aggressively politicized" behavior could harm the Blade Runner franchise. Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla and SpaceX, has become increasingly involved in politics and is now a top donor to Donald Trump's presidential campaign.
Tesla’s use of the image has caused “irreparable harm” and confusion, according to the lawsuit, which has increased trademark risk. Alcon alleges that the move is a ploy to associate Tesla’s products with powerful Hollywood brands at a time when Tesla and Musk are isolated from Hollywood.
