Alcon Entertainment, LLC v. Tesla, Inc.

On 21 October 2024, Alcon Entertainment, producer and copyright owner of Blade Runner 2049, sued Tesla, Elon Musk, and Warner Bros. Discovery for unauthorised use of copyrighted imagery from the film during Tesla’s October 2024 “We Robot” marketing event. The event, held at Warner Bros.’ Burbank studio, launched Tesla’s AI-powered robotaxi and Optimus humanoid robot.

Alcon alleges that after being denied a license, Musk and Tesla used an AI image generator to create a slide for Musk’s keynote featuring an image nearly identical to Blade Runner 2049’s Las Vegas scene, depicting a silhouetted figure in a trench coat surveying a dystopian city.

Alcon claims this image was generated using AI trained on or incorporating copyrighted stills from the film, constituting direct infringement. Warner Bros. is accused of failing to prevent the unauthorised use.

While not a generative AI model case, it highlights emerging copyright tensions around AI-assisted marketing content.

This summary is provided for educational and research purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Allegations described are those made in the filings. Please consult the underlying source documents.