The production company behind “Blade Runner 2049” filed a lawsuit Monday against Elon Musk and Tesla, accusing them of copyright infringement while promoting a new self-driving car.

In its lawsuit, Alcon Entertainment says Musk used AI-generated imagery mirroring scenes from its 2017 sci-fi film while presenting Tesla’s new autonomous Robotaxi at a marketing event earlier this month. Producers had denied his request to do so.

“He did it anyway,” the suit alleges, adding that the company denied Musk’s request due to the tech mogul’s “extreme political and social views” that occasionally veer into “hate speech.” Musk enthusiastically endorsed Donald Trump for president, appearing alongside him at a rally earlier this month, and has espoused transphobic views.

  • adam_y@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    The big brain move was to ask them first, thereby proving you wanted to use their IP.

    If he had just faked it anyway without asking he might have got away with it.

    Genius strategist.

  • WalnutLum@lemmy.ml
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    4 months ago

    What’s great about lawsuits like this is you really only have to prove intent and they have a record of them asking for similar imagery.

  • some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org
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    4 months ago

    I hate this guy so much. Hope he gets run over by one of his shitty trucks in full self/driving mode. Best part is that they turn off FSD right before impact to absolve blame. Oh, poor guy got smooshed, but FSD wasn’t to blame.

  • Grimy@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    Abandoned city background + “you are now in mexico” filter + duster = owned by Hollywood.

    Elon sucks but so does this lawsuit.

    • Cethin@lemmy.zip
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      4 months ago

      If they asked if they can use imagery similar to or from BR2049 then they’re clearly in the wrong, which it sounds like they did. If they just made an ad and it happened to look like it, maybe not.

    • BossDj@lemm.ee
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      4 months ago

      When the image appears on the screen, he says, “we didn’t want the blade runner future. Well, maybe that cool duster he’s wearing.” So anyone there would likely assume that the image is from Blade Runner. The intent of the image was Blade Runner.

    • NutWrench@lemmy.zip
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      4 months ago

      Agreed. There’s no footage used from BR2049 or even a cheap simulation of it in his promotion. And you can’t trademark simply saying the words, “Blade Runner.”

    • ThirdWorldOrder@lemm.ee
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      4 months ago

      I had no idea you could copywrite scenery lol. How fucking stupid and dystopian is that?

      Elon is a fucking douchebag but Jesus Christ copywrite laws are just as cancerous

    • RubberElectrons@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      I really, really dislike the guy, but if he didn’t actually use imagery from the film… Does this suit actually have standing?

      C’mon guys, cripes. What are we doing here, feeding lawyers for the sake of feeding lawyers??

      • DeanFogg@lemm.ee
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        4 months ago

        I mean there was that one Robin Thicke lawsuit where it sounded nothing like a Marvin gaye song

  • Uriel238 [all pronouns]
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    4 months ago

    Once again the ownership class pirates freely while disparaging the common folk for violating copyright.

    It’s almost if it’s not a real law, rather something by which to disparage the proletariat.

  • RobotToaster@mander.xyz
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    4 months ago

    They’re suing him for using vaguely cyberpunk ai generated images?

    As much as it seems like Musk is trying to make a real life cyberpunk dystopia, this seems a little silly.