Alcon Entertainment sued Tesla, Elon Musk and Warner Bros. Discovery after Tesla’s October 10, 2024 robotaxi presentation displayed an image that Alcon says evoked Blade Runner 2049 despite Alcon refusing permission. A February 3, 2026 order let Alcon’s copyright claim against Tesla and Musk proceed past the dismissal stage, but it did not decide that either defendant infringed the copyright.
What triggered the lawsuit?
Tesla held its robotaxi event on October 10, 2024, at Warner Bros.’ Burbank studio lot. The Associated Press reported that Musk referred to Blade Runner while a screen showed a man in a long coat looking over an orange-tinted, ruined city.
Alcon’s October 21, 2024 complaint alleges that the scene resembled a sequence in Blade Runner 2049 in which Ryan Gosling’s character arrives in an abandoned Las Vegas. The complaint further alleges that the image was created to evoke the film after Alcon had refused permission to use film imagery. Whether the image was actually generated with AI, and how it was made, remains an allegation rather than a court finding.
At the event, Musk said, “I love Blade Runner, but I don’t know if we want that future,” according to the Associated Press account.
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What Alcon says Tesla and Musk did
Alcon’s complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, presents several theories of liability. They are allegations, not established facts:
- The displayed image allegedly copied or improperly evoked protected visual expression from Blade Runner 2049.
- Tesla allegedly used the image after Alcon denied permission to use material from the film.
- The presentation allegedly created an association between Tesla’s robotaxi project and Alcon’s film or its rights holders.
Warner Bros. Discovery was also named as a defendant. The complaint’s allegations about the company and the event do not establish that it shared liability.
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Key dates and court actions
| Date | Event | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| October 10, 2024 | Tesla robotaxi presentation at the Warner Bros. Burbank lot | The disputed image appeared during the event, according to the complaint and event reporting. |
| October 21, 2024 | Alcon files suit against Tesla, Elon Musk and Warner Bros. Discovery | The complaint states Alcon’s allegations; filing a complaint is not proof of infringement. |
| June 16, 2025 | Tentative ruling addressing the presentation and alleged AI use | A tentative motion ruling is procedural and is not a verdict on the underlying dispute. |
| February 3, 2026 | Court denies dismissal of the copyright claim against Tesla and Musk and dismisses other claims | The copyright claim cleared that stage of the case. The order did not determine ultimate liability. |
What the February 2026 order means
A motion to dismiss tests whether a claim can proceed on the pleaded allegations. By denying dismissal of Alcon’s copyright claim against Tesla and Musk, the court allowed that claim to continue. It did not find that the image infringed a copyright, that the image was AI-generated, or that Tesla or Musk acted unlawfully.
The same order dismissed other claims. The February 3, 2026 order does not establish a final ruling on Warner Bros. Discovery’s position or explain the disposition of every claim in a way that would support a broader conclusion.
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Has the Blade Runner lawsuit been decided?
No final judgment on liability is established by the February 3, 2026 order. The order is an interim procedural decision, not a finding that Tesla or Musk infringed Alcon’s rights. Because the February 3, 2026 order does not identify any later filing or settlement, anyone needing the present-tense status should check the live Central District of California docket before treating the case as pending, settled or finally resolved.
Quick Recap
What is established—and what is not
- Established: Alcon filed the complaint on October 21, 2024; the dispute concerns an image shown at Tesla’s October 10, 2024 robotaxi event; and the February 3, 2026 order allowed a copyright claim against Tesla and Musk to proceed past dismissal.
- Not established by those events: that the image was definitively AI-generated, that it legally copied protected expression, that Tesla or Musk are liable, or that the case has reached a final resolution.
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