At present, it remains profoundly uncertain whether any of the autonomous vehicles showcased during Tesla’s We, Robot presentation will ultimately be commercialized. Nonetheless, a production company associated with Blade Runner 2049 has initiated legal proceedings against Elon Musk, asserting that he unlawfully appropriated their intellectual property for the event.
Today, Alcon Entertainment, the Los Angeles-based production entity behind Blade Runner 2049, has filed a lawsuit against Tesla, Elon Musk, and Warner Bros. Discovery, alleging the illicit utilization of an AI image generator to fabricate promotional artwork evocative of stills from the 2017 science fiction film. Alcon, which holds the copyright to Blade Runner 2049, claims that a request for imagery was submitted by WBD and Tesla on the afternoon of October 10, mere hours before the event’s commencement on the Warner Bros. lot in California.
Although WBD possesses certain licensing rights pertaining to Blade Runner 2049, the international live-streaming of the event necessitated direct clearance from Alcon. Upon notification of the matter, Alcon’s legal and licensing divisions promptly issued a categorical denial, underscoring the imperative to avert any potential misunderstandings during the event.
“Any judicious brand contemplating a partnership with Tesla must account for Musk’s frequently unpredictable and politicized conduct, which at times borders on hate speech,” the lawsuit articulates. “Alcon sought to dissociate Blade Runner 2049 from Musk and his enterprises for these compelling reasons.”
Contrary to Alcon’s explicit refusal, it is alleged that Tesla proceeded to input imagery from Blade Runner 2049 into the AI generator to construct what has been described as a “lightly stylized faux screen still,” prominently featured during the We, Robot exposition. Within the course of the event, Musk invoked the Blade Runner franchise by name while delineating sci-fi portrayals of the future, coinciding with a livestream segment depicting an individual garbed in a duster, positioned against a dystopian urban backdrop.
In addition to the overarching copyright infringement claims, Alcon contends it was never apprised of any contracts between Tesla and WBD, which were essential for the We, Robot event. This agreement purportedly endowed Tesla with the rights to utilize Warner Bros.’ facilities and equipment, and Alcon suspects it also entailed promotional conditions that “permitted or possibly mandated Tesla to explicitly associate the Cybercab with one or more films from the studio’s portfolio.
The specifics of the damages sought by Alcon remain unspecified within the lawsuit; however, it conveys a clear conviction that Musk, Tesla, and WBD were acutely aware of the unauthorized nature of the utilized imagery and the ulterior motives underpinning its deployment, thereby allegedly endorsing this improper initiative.
Vocabulary List:
- Autonomous /ɔːˈtɒnəməs/ (adjective): Having the ability to operate independently.
- Commercialized /kəˈmɜrʃəˌlaɪzd/ (verb): To exploit or utilize for profit.
- Illicit /ɪˈlɪs.ɪt/ (adjective): Forbidden by laws rules or customs.
- Utilization /ˌjuːtəlaɪˈzeɪʃən/ (noun): The action of making practical and effective use of something.
- Denial /dɪˈnaɪ.əl/ (noun): The action of declaring something to be untrue.
- Allegation /ˌæl.əˈɡeɪ.ʃən/ (noun): A claim or assertion that someone has done something illegal or wrong.
