Alcon Entertainment sued Tesla, Elon Musk and Warner Bros. Discovery after Tesla showed an image resembling Blade Runner 2049 during its October 10, 2024 Cybercab event, according to Alcon’s complaint. Alcon says it had refused permission to use the film’s imagery. In February 2026, a judge let Alcon’s direct copyright claim against Tesla and Musk proceed past the motion-to-dismiss stage; that ruling did not decide whether infringement occurred.
What prompted the lawsuit?
Alcon Entertainment filed the lawsuit in federal court in California on October 21, 2024. Its complaint says Tesla sought permission to use an iconic still from Blade Runner 2049 to promote the Cybercab at an event livestreamed from Warner Bros.’ Burbank lot. Alcon says it refused the request and objected to any suggestion that the film was affiliated with Tesla, Musk or a Musk-owned company. Read the complaint.
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Alcon alleges that a different image resembling the film’s imagery was shown during Musk’s remarks at the event, for about 11 seconds. The complaint characterizes the image as AI-generated, but the available court reporting does not establish how it was produced. Those are Alcon’s allegations, not findings by a court. Complaint; Los Angeles Times coverage.
What was shown at the Cybercab event?
The dispute is about two distinct things: the film still Alcon says Tesla asked to license, and the separate event image that Alcon says appeared after it refused. The complaint alleges the displayed image resembled Blade Runner 2049; it does not establish that the event image was itself a frame from the film.
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In an opposition filing dated January 7, 2026, Alcon described Musk as referring to Blade Runner while the image was displayed. The filing quotes him: “You know, I love ‘Blade Runner,’ but I don’t know if we want that future. I believe we want that duster he’s wearing, but not the, uh, not the bleak apocalypse.” This is the quotation as reproduced in Alcon’s advocacy filing, not a judicial finding. Alcon’s opposition filing.
What claims did Alcon bring?
The complaint names Alcon as plaintiff and Tesla, Musk and Warner Bros. Discovery as defendants. Alcon says it holds the relevant copyright rights in Blade Runner 2049 and pleads copyright and related claims based on the alleged use of film imagery and an alleged association between the film and Tesla’s promotion. The complaint presents Alcon’s case; its assertions should not be read as established facts. Complaint.
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What did the February 2026 ruling decide?
On February 6, 2026, Bloomberg Law reported that U.S. District Judge George H. Wu denied Musk and Tesla’s motion to dismiss Alcon’s direct copyright-infringement claim. The report says Alcon may pursue its theory that protected material was copied while creating the image, without having to establish at this pleading stage that the final image was substantially similar to the film. Bloomberg Law’s report.
A motion-to-dismiss ruling tests whether a claim can proceed, not whether the plaintiff has proved it. The February ruling therefore did not establish that Tesla or Musk infringed copyright, determine whether the use was fair, or decide ultimate liability. It also did not resolve every claim in the complaint.
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Has the lawsuit been decided?
The sources available here do not establish a final disposition after the February 6, 2026 ruling. They do not confirm a later settlement, trial result or appeal. The case should therefore be described as unresolved in the available reporting, rather than as a completed judgment against Tesla or Musk.
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