Alcon Entertainment Sues Elon Musk and Tesla for Unauthorized Use of ‘Blade Runner 2049’ Images for Robotaxi Launch

According to AP on October 22, Alcon Entertainment filed a lawsuit against Tesla, CEO Elon Musk, and Warner Bros. Discovery in federal court in Southern California. The production company alleges copyright infringement and trademark counterfeiting for using images from the film during Tesla’s Robotaxi launch event.

The lawsuit seeks an injunction to prevent Musk, Tesla, Warner Bros. Discovery, and anyone working with them from copying, displaying, or selling the “BR2049” (Blade Runner 2049) trademark. Additionally, Alcon seeks financial damages.

On October 10, Tesla launched the Robotaxi at Warner Bros. Discovery’s campus in Burbank, California. According to Alcon, during the presentation, Elon Musk used AI-generated images simulating scenes of a character resembling actor Ryan Gosling and futuristic vehicles from Blade Runner 2049, despite Alcon having previously denied permission for their use. Tesla’s presentation was streamed live globally and later reposted, attracting millions of views.

On October 9, a day before the new taxi model’s launch, Warner Bros. Discovery contacted Alcon to request permission to use images from the film for Tesla’s presentation. Alcon’s co-CEOs, Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson, denied Warner Bros.’ request, refusing to allow the film to be associated with Tesla or Musk.

Alcon representatives stated that the financial value of the unauthorized use of the images is substantial. They have invested hundreds of millions of dollars to establish the “BR2049” brand as a globally recognized cinematic icon. Previously, partnerships between car manufacturers and films have been worth tens of millions of dollars.

In the lawsuit, Alcon emphasizes that they do not want any connection with “Tesla, X, Musk, or any company owned by Musk.” They argue that this action stems from Musk’s erratic and highly political behavior, along with his many inappropriate remarks. The lawsuit states: “He knows very well that including ‘BR2049’ in the presentation is illegal, yet he proceeded.”

Alcon representatives noted that Musk and Tesla’s use of the images could confuse their partners, including clients involved in the Blade Runner 2099 series, which is currently filming in Europe and set to stream on Amazon Prime.

On October 22, Elon Musk posted on social media platform X: “That movie is terrible.” The post attracted over 56,000 views and 1,800 likes, with many users disagreeing with Musk, stating that Blade Runner 2049 is one of the best films released in the past decade. Others commented that the film’s pacing was dull. “They want to sue to get attention for their project,” wrote the account PrimeXAI.

Blade Runner 2049 premiered in 2017, directed by Denis Villeneuve. The film is set 30 years after the original, released in 1982, when the creation of robots falls into the hands of the mysterious scientist Neander Wallace (Jared Leto). The new-generation replicants are implanted with sophisticated false memories, granting them emotions and personalities like real humans. They also have longer lifespans and play dominant roles in many societal activities, while older models are deemed illegal and gradually eliminated.

In one mission, blade runner K (Ryan Gosling), a new-generation replicant, discovers the remains of a female replicant who died giving birth years earlier. Shocked by the revelation that replicants can reproduce, K is tasked by his superior to find and eliminate the child. His journey leads him to confront various forces, including Wallace’s organization and a rebellion of replicants. Along the way, he encounters Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), the main character from the previous film who is now in hiding.

At the 90th Academy Awards (2018), the film won two of its five nominations, including Best Cinematography and Best Visual Effects. The project also received eight nominations at the 2018 BAFTA Awards, including Best Director, winning for Best Cinematography and Best Visual Effects.

Elon Musk (full name: Elon Reeve Musk), 53, is the founder and CEO of SpaceX; CEO and product architect of Tesla; founder of PayPal; co-founder of Neuralink; and chairman of SolarCity. According to Forbes, he is currently the richest person in the world, with a total net worth of $251.3 billion.

The billionaire has 11 children, including six with his first wife Justine (of which their first son died at just 10 weeks old), three with singer Grimes, and two with Shivon Zilis, a subordinate at Neuralink.