Tesla/YouTube
An image shown during Tesla's We, Robot event
The director of the film Blade Runner 2049 has sued Tesla, Elon Musk and Warner Bros. Discovery, alleging they used footage from the film without permission.
Production company Alcon Entertainment says it specifically rejected a request from Warner Bros to use material from the film at the launch event for Tesla's long-awaited robotaxi.
Alcon claims that despite his refusal, Tesla and other organizers of the October 10 event used artificial intelligence (AI) to create promotional images based on the film.
Tesla and Warner Bros did not immediately respond to BBC News' requests for comment.
“The financial magnitude of the misappropriation here was substantial,” the lawsuit states.
“Any prudent brand considering a partnership with Tesla must take into account Musk's massively amplified, highly politicized, capricious and arbitrary behavior, which at times veers into hate speech,” it adds.
Alcon also accused event organizers of “false endorsement” by suggesting a connection between the production company and Tesla.
Warner Bros, which held the robotaxi launch event at one of its film studios, was also the distributor of Blade Runner 2049 when it was released in 2017.
The highly anticipated sequel to the 1982 cyberpunk classic Blade Runner, starred Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Ana de Armas and Jared Leto, and won two Academy Awards.
Warner Bros.
A scene from the movie Blade Runner 2049
