A US federal judge has ruled that a lawsuit by Blade Runner 2049 production company Alcon Entertainment against Tesla and Warner Bros over the use of images from the film can proceed. However, the scope of the complaint was narrowed, with several claims dismissed and the complaint sent to mediation.
Alcon sued Tesla and Warner Bros last October after an “We Robot” event on the Warner Bros lot in Burbank, where Tesla used 11-second slide with images from Blade Runner 2049 to train AI tools. Alcon maintains that it refused a request to use its visuals but was not given enough time to respond.
A federal judge, George Wu, sided with Tesla and dismissed some of Alcon’s claims. However, the copyright infringement charge remains pending. The judge noted that Alcon may have used an AI image-generator to create the 11-second slide and that the images are similar enough for a claim to be made.
Tesla’s use of Blade Runner 2049 visuals has sparked controversy, particularly given CEO Elon Musk’s comments on the film. The outcome of this lawsuit will likely determine how much Tesla must pay in damages or face other consequences from Alcon Entertainment.
Source: https://deadline.com/2025/04/blade-runner-suit-against-tesla-and-warner-bros-1236363456