Alcon Entertainment has filed a federal lawsuit against Tesla and Warner Bros. Discovery, alleging that the two companies improperly used images associated with the film “Blade Runner 2049” to promote Tesla’s new autonomous cybercab. The complaint, lodged in California on Monday, claims violations of U.S. copyright law and accuses Tesla of “false endorsement,” suggesting a partnership that does not exist between the studio and the electric vehicle manufacturer.
The lawsuit highlights concerns regarding Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s behavior, stating, “Any prudent brand considering any Tesla partnership has to take Musk’s massively amplified, highly politicized, capricious and arbitrary behavior, which sometimes veers into hate speech, into account.”
Tesla and Warner Bros. have not yet responded to requests for comment. Warner Bros. was the distributor for “Blade Runner 2049,” which received two Academy Awards in 2018 and featured stars Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford.
According to Alcon, the studio rejected a request from Warner Bros. to use images from “Blade Runner 2049” for Tesla’s live-streamed cybercab unveiling on October 10. Instead, Tesla reportedly employed artificial intelligence to create images reminiscent of the film for the event.
Alcon expressed concerns that the defendants’ actions could confuse customers and partners associated with the “Blade Runner” brand, especially those involved in the upcoming “Blade Runner 2099” series for Amazon Prime. While the lawsuit does not specify damages, Alcon noted that it has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in building the “Blade Runner 2049” brand and described the financial impact of the alleged misappropriation as “substantial.”
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