this post was submitted on 22 Oct 2024

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'Blade Runner 2049' Producers Sue Elon Musk, Tesla For Copyright Infringement (www.huffpost.com)

submitted 2 weeks ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

34 comments fedilink hide all child comments

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.

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[–] [email protected] 191 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 2 weeks ago

Reminds me of Google's thing with the Gemini name.

Google decides to use the Gemini name for their AI stuff either knowing other company has patent or whatever on that name when it comes to AI or just doing it anyway. Google asks Patent Office to give them the name, they are told no. Then some "mysterious third party" tries to buy out the other company. They figure it is Google trying to circumvent the patent, they stop contact and just sue Google.

I'm not sure if they decided on the name, saw it was taken and were like "yeah but we like the name so it'll be fine" or if they're genuinely stupid enough to first decide on the name and then they realize that oh shit

[–] [email protected] 78 points 2 weeks 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.

[–] [email protected] 68 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Like the Segway guy who died by riding his Segway off a cliff

[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Was the Segway guy as shitty as musk?

[–] [email protected] 15 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

The cliff thought as much. Why else would it yeet him like that?!

(Doesn't sound like he was because he also held patents for an insulin pump & a wheelchair that could climb stairs so his mind was definitely working towards solving real world problems & not just reinventing public transport)

[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

the guy who invented the segway is still alive. The guy who bought his company later drove off a cliff, though it is suspected he had a heart attack while driving

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 weeks ago

See I suspect he had the heart attack while falling off the cliff.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago

Musk shittiness is a high bar.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Best we can hope for is an overdose

[–] [email protected] 15 points 2 weeks 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.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 weeks ago

Lolol fucking awesome

[+] [email protected] -23 points 2 weeks ago (5 children)

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

Elon sucks but so does this lawsuit.

[–] [email protected] 33 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

At the same time, "similar works" are protected and allowed as legal. For instance the 5000 spaghetti westerns that exist, or the entire formula for 80's slasher films. Or Ants and A Bugs Life, or Olympus Has Fallen and White House Down, or Deep Impact and Armageddon.

So there has to be some sort of line somewhere that's a cut-off, but it might be hard to find. Musk wanted to use blade runner and was told to fuck off, so he made up his own dystopian Sci fi future scene. He most certainly aimed for the blade runner look, but was it illegal?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago

That's true. I guess we have to wait for this to go through court. I would assume if they put Blade Runner in the prompt it could violate the copyright.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 2 weeks 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.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 2 weeks 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."

[–] [email protected] -3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

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??

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago

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

[–] [email protected] -5 points 2 weeks 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