Tesla accused of using Blade Runner 2049 AI imagery to launch robotaxi

Occurred: October 2024

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Tesla, Elon Musk and Warner Brothers have been accused of using unlicensed imagery from Blade Runner 2049 to promote the "launch" of Tesla's robotaxi.

What happened

Alcon Entertainment, the company behind Blade Runner 2049, filed a lawsuit in a California federal court after Tesla allegedly intentionally created images resembling scenes from the film by putting them into an AI image generator.

Alcon said it had previously denied a request for such usage.

Why it happened

One specific image presented during the event featured a character resembling Ryan Gosling's portrayal from the film, looking over a dystopian cityscape.

Alcon argues this usage was aimed at enhancing the promotional appeal of the event while misappropriating the Blade Runner brand for commercial purposes.

What it means

Should Alcon prevail, the legal action could set a precedent regarding the use of film imagery in marketing, particularly as companies increasingly rely on AI technology.

Furthermore, Alcon's concerns about Musk's public persona and its potential impact on the Blade Runner brand indicate a growing awareness among creators about how associations with controversial figures can affect their intellectual properties.

Fair use

Fair use is a doctrine in United States law that permits limited use of copyrighted material without having to first acquire permission from the copyright holder.

Source: Wikipedia πŸ”—

System πŸ€–

Operator: Elon Musk; Tesla; Warner Bros. Discovery
Developer: Β 
Country: USA
Sector: Automotive; Media/entertainment/sports/arts
Purpose: Generate imagery
Technology: Image-to-image; Machine learning
Issue: Copyright; Ethics/values

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