‘Blade Runner' Suit Against Tesla And Warner Bros. Can Proceed, Federal Judge Rules, But Defendants Succeed In Narrowing Scope
The scope of the complaint, however, was narrowed in a ruling late Monday by Judge George Wu in the U.S. District Court of Central California. (Read the ruling HERE.) Wu sided with the defendants by dismissing several of Alcon's claims and ordering the narrower complaint to go to mediation. Still pending are Alcon's charge of copyright infringement, which stems from the use of images from the sci-fi sequel starring Ryan Gosling to train AI tools involved in generating materials for Tesla.
More from Deadline
Volatile Stocks Reverse Rally, End Lower Amid Trump Tariffs; China Vows "Fight To The End"
Redbox, Crackle And Other Chicken Soup For The Soul Entertainment Assets Set For Post-Bankruptcy Auction
Trading Jabs About The Trade War: Elon Musk Bashes Peter Navarro As Tariff Tiff Divides Trump Allies
Alcon sued Warner Bros. and Tesla last October after the automaker's 'We Robot' event on the Warner lot in Burbank, insisting that the companies had ignored its refusal of a request to incorporate the film's visuals.
Blade Runner 2049, the 2017 sequel to the 1982 sci-fi classic, was distributed by Warner Bros.
Alcon maintains that it refused a request from the studio to use images from the film. Attorneys for the company said executives had made it clear that 'under no circumstances' could there by 'any affiliation' between the film and the Elon Musk-run automaker. The crux of the production firm's objection was Musk's 'massively amplified, highly politicized, capricious and arbitrary behavior, which sometimes veers into hate speech.'
Despite that directive, an 11-second slide appeared during Tesla's presentation, with Musk specifically alluding to the sci-fi property in a voiceover.
Tesla and Warner Bros. have insisted, as Wu noted in his ruling, that Alcon 'cannot show substantial similarity between its copyrighted work and the 'We Robot' presentation or the 11-second slide used therein.'
Wu noted that the request for permission was made on the same day as the Tesla event, giving Alcon little time to respond.
'Given the tight timeframe Musk and Tesla were working with in light of their last-minute request – and the resulting last-minute denial – to make use of BR2049, it is not at all implausible for plaintiff to allege on information and belief that they made use of an AI image-generator to come up with the finishedproduct,' Wu wrote. 'In addition, the images are not so different that the Court can conclude Tesla and Musk could not possibly have literally copied in the manner so-alleged. Thus, each of Tesla's and Musk's timely-raised limited arguments regarding the 'literal copying' theory fail.'
Best of Deadline
Sean "Diddy" Combs: An Updated Timeline Of Charges, Allegations & Consequences The Rap Mogul Faces
A Full Timeline Of Blake Lively & Justin Baldoni's 'It Ends With Us' Feud In Court, Online & In The Media
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Meet the cast so far for HBO's 'Harry Potter' series, from the Hogwarts trio to some of our favorite professors
Wands at the ready! Can you feel the magic? The Harry Potter franchise is expanding once again with HBO's Harry Potter TV series, set to air in 2027. The show has a lot to live up to, given the success of J.K. Rowling's book series and the Warner Bros. movie adaptations. But fans have shown excitement over the past few months as HBO continues to announce its casting decisions, helping shape what the new generation of beloved characters will look like. HBO has started production at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in the U.K., which is where the original movie franchise was filmed from 2000 to 2010. The show will be based on the original story but with major plot changes, and each season will focus on one of the seven books in the internationally popular literary series. The episodes are being written and executive-produced by Francesca Gardiner; Mark Mylod, who worked as an executive producer and director on the HBO drama Succession, will direct several episodes, according to Warner Bros. In December, Variety reported that Discovery global streaming chief JB Perrette said the show is expected to be a 10-year project. Here's what we know so far about the cast. Who has been cast in the reboot? Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter McLaughlin will be playing the iconic role of Harry Potter. Daniel Radcliffe starred as the character from 2001 through 2011. The Scottish actor, who is about 11 years old, is also set to appear in the BBC's Gifted series, which is expected to premiere sometime in late 2025, and Sky's new original film Grow. Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger Eleven-year-old Stanton will play Hermione Granger, one of the brightest witches of her generation. The character was previously played by actress Emma Watson in all eight Harry Potter films. This is Stanton's first onscreen role, having previously starred in Matilda on London's West End in 2023. Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley Stout will play Ron Weasley, the sixth and youngest son in the Weasley family. English actor Rupert Grint originated the role, starting when he was just 11 years old. According to Stout's online actor profile, this will be his first onscreen acting role after previously being cast in a commercial for Albert Barlett potatoes. Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy Pratt will play Slytherin antagonist Draco Malfoy, who was originally portrayed by Tom Felton in the films. The young British actor is also starring as one of the lead characters in the BBC's upcoming adaptation of Lord of the Flies, the 1954 novel by William Golding. John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore Lithgow will play Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts. The character has previously been played by Richard Harris and Michael Gambon in the Harry Potter franchise and Jude Law and Toby Regbo in the Fantastic Beasts series. 'Well, it came as a total surprise to me,' Lithgow told ScreenRant in February. 'I just got the phone call up at the Sundance Film Festival for yet another film, and it was not an easy decision because it's going to define me for the last chapter of my life, I'm afraid. But I'm very excited. Some wonderful people are turning their attention back to Harry Potter. That's why it's been such a hard decision. I'll be about 87 years old at the wrap party, but I've said yes.' Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape The British actor has been cast as Severus Snape, the potions professor at Hogwarts. Alan Rickman played Snape in all eight Harry Potter films. Essiedu earned several nominations for his role in the BBC's I May Destroy You and costarred with Saoirse Ronan in The Outrun, which premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall McTeer will play Professor McGonagall, the head of Gryffindor House and the deputy headmistress under Dumbledore. Actress Maggie Smith played McGonagall in the Harry Potter movies, while Fiona Glascott played her in Fantastic Beasts. McTeer has won multiple theater, film and TV awards and nominations and will also star in the upcoming Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning with Tom Cruise. Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid Frost has been cast as Rubeus Hagrid, a half-giant who works as the groundskeeper at Hogwarts. Robbie Coltrane originated the character in the Harry Potter movies. Frost is most well known for his involvement in the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, which includes Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and World's End. Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch Whitehouse will play Argus Filch, the caretaker at Hogwarts. He was portrayed by David Bradley in every Harry Potter film. While Filch did not appear in the last two Harry Potter movies, the character does appear in every book. The British actor was one of the main stars of the BBC sketch comedy show The Fast Show, which ran from 1994 to 2014. Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell The British stage actor will play Quirinus Quirrell, the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor for the first book and movie, which means Thallon will only be in the first season of the show. Ian Hart played Quirrell in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Thallon has played the lead for multiple major stage productions in London. Johnny Flynn as Lucius Malfoy Flynn has been cast as Draco Malfoy's father, Lucius Malfoy, previously played by Jason Isaacs. Flynn starred in Netflix's sitcom Lovesick and is also known for his performances as David Bowie in Stardust and George Knightley in Emma, an adaptation of the Jane Austen novel. Isaacs, who played Lucius in the original Harry Potter films, reacted to the casting in a post on Instagram on June 9, saying he was "thrilled to be passing the keys to Malfoy Manor" and called Flynn "a brilliant actor." Bel Powley as Petunia Dursley Powley will be playing Harry's aunt Petunia Dursley, originally portrayed by actress Fiona Shaw. Powley, 33, earned a British Independent Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer nomination in 2015 for her role as Princess Margaret in A Royal Night Out. Her performance in the coming-of-age film The Diary of a Teenage Girl earned her the Trophée Chopard award at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival. Daniel Rigby as Vernon Dursley Rigby will play Harry's uncle Vernon Dursley, who was played by the actor Richard Griffiths in the original films. Rigby's acting history is a mix of stage theater, stand-up comedy, films and TV. On Instagram, the comedian said he was "thrilled to be playing the world's worst muggle, Uncle Vernon." Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley Parkinson will play Ron Weasley's mom, Molly Weasley, who was previously played by Julie Walters. Parkinson broke out for her role in the British comedy series The IT Crowd, which earned her two BAFTA awards for Best Female Comedy Performance in 2009 and 2014. She also earned an Olivier Award nomination for her performance in the stage play Home, I'm Darling, in 2018. Who else has been cast? HBO unveiled more cast members on Aug. 19, who will play minor — but still memorable — characters in the upcoming TV show. Tristan Harland as Fred Weasley, originally played by James Phelps. Gabriel Harland as George Weasley, formerly played by Oliver Phelps. Ruari Spooner as Percy Weasley, played by Chris Rankin in the movies. Gracie Cochrane as Ginny Weasley, originally portrayed by Bonnie Wright. Rory Wilmot as Neville Longbottom, originally played by Matthew Lewis. Amos Kitson is playing Dudley Dursley, who was played by Harry Melling in the movies. Louise Brealey as Madam Rolanda Hooch, previously played by Zoë Wanamaker. Anton Lesser is Garrick Ollivander, formerly played by John Hurt. Leo Earley is Seamus Finnigan, previously portrayed by Devon Murray. Alessia Leoni is Parvati Patil, originally played by Shefali Chowdhury. Sienna Moosah is Lavender Brown, played by Jessie Cave in the films. Bertie Carvel will play Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge, who was previously played by Robert Hardy. Will original cast members be involved? For now, no original cast members or producers from the movie series have been announced to be part of the upcoming show. Daniel Radcliffe, who played Harry, told ComicBook in June 2023 that he supported the new show but was not interested in being involved. 'I'm definitely not seeking it out in any way," he said. "But I do wish them, obviously, all the luck in the world, and I'm very excited to have that torch passed. But I don't think it needs me to physically pass it.' Several actors involved in the film series — Rickman, Coltrane, Gambon and Smith — have since died. Is J.K. Rowling involved in the TV show? Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said that he and HBO and Max executives Casey Bloys and Channing Dungey have met with author J.K. Rowling about the reboot. 'We spent some real time with J.K. and her team,' Zaslav said during a Warner Bros. company call in December. 'Both sides are thrilled to be reigniting this franchise. Our conversations were great, and we couldn't be more excited about what's ahead.' In a Warner Bros. press release in 2023, Rowling said, 'Max's commitment to preserving the integrity of my books is important to me, and I'm looking forward to being part of this new adaptation, which will allow for a degree of depth and detail only afforded by a long-form television series.' Bloys told IndieWire in November 2024 that Rowling has 'been fairly involved in the process of selecting the writer and director' of the TV show and will 'have opinions on casting.' On the April 30 episode of The Town podcast, which covers Hollywood news, Bloys defended HBO's decision to continue working with Rowling on the show after some fans raised concerns over her political beliefs. "The decision to be in business with J.K. Rowling is not new for us," Bloys said. "We've been in business for 25 years. We already have a show on HBO from her called C.B. Strike that we do with the BBC. It's pretty clear that those are her personal, political views. She's entitled to them. Harry Potter is not secretly being infused with anything. And if you want to debate her, you can go on Twitter." Fan concerns about Rowling's involvement have popped up multiple times since the new series was announced. At the end of April, Essiedu, who was cast as Snape, along with Eddie Redmayne, who starred in Fantastic Beasts, and Katie Leung, who was in the original Harry Potter films, signed an open letter calling on the U.K.'s entertainment industry to protect the transgender community. While Rowling condemned the petition on X, she later responded directly to speculation she would fire Essiedu from the new series, writing: "I don't have the power to sack an actor from the series, and I wouldn't exercise it if I did. I don't believe in taking away people's jobs or livelihoods because they hold legally protected beliefs that differ from mine." Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Elon Musk makes surprise touchdown in small B.C. town
A small B.C town is buzzing after the world's richest man made an unexpected touchdown this past weekend. Elon Musk, the CEO of X and Tesla and a former White House adviser, landed in Bella Bella on B.C.'s Central Coast on Saturday in a small private aircraft before being flown out by helicopter. He returned to the airstrip on Monday and flew out. Local Seán Carter says the fishing community of about 1,500 people in the Great Bear Rainforest, 470 kilometres northwest of Vancouver, is used to seeing the rich and famous — including members of the Royal Family — pass through to take advantage of the recreational opportunities in the area, but Musk is at another level. "It's not every day the richest man comes through," he said. "That's gonna be a tough one to top." Carter says the common belief is Musk was passing through on his way to a property off the coast owned by James Murdoch, the son of media mogul Rupert Murdoch. The Globe and Mail reported in 2017 that the younger Murdoch had purchased a property for recreational use off the B.C. coast due to his love of the area. He is also a board member of Tesla, where Musk serves as CEO. CBC News has reached out to Tesla for comment. Musk a Canadian citizen An online service which tracks a private jet belonging to Musk shows the craft landed in Vancouver late Friday night and left Monday afternoon. Those times align with photos provided to CBC News, which show Musk arriving in Bella Coola on Saturday and leaving on Monday. Musk, who was born in South Africa, is a Canadian citizen through his mother, Maye Musk, who was born in Regina. As a teenager, he moved to Canada, where he says he lived and worked in Saskatchewan and Vancouver before studying at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont. Earlier this year, he was the subject of a petition calling on the Canadian government to revoke his citizenship due to his role in Trump's White House, as the U.S. president was ramping up rhetoric about using a trade war to make Canada a state. In B.C., Premier David Eby excluded Tesla products from its electric vehicle charger rebate program in response to U.S. tariffs, stating, "It's just for Tesla and it's because of Elon Musk." Multiple Canadian municipalities and government agencies have also been re-evaluating their relationship with X, citing Musk's politics. Meanwhile, many rural communities have signed on to use Musk's satellite internet Starlink service to help provide connectivity in remote areas. Musk has shared differing views on Canada over the years. In 2023, he posted a picture of himself wearing an I Love Canada T-shirt and later that year posted a message stating, "I'm proudly half-Canadian." But in February 2025, in response to the petition to revoke his citizenship, he posted "Canada is not a real country," which he later deleted. Emily Lowan, who is running for the leadership of the B.C. Green Party, shared photos of Musk's arrival in Bella Bella to her social media accounts, writing, "yet another reason to tax billionaires out of existence." In a statement to CBC News, she said the ability of billionaires to build private havens in B.C. while using private jets that fuel the climate crisis is a "stark warning" to governments of the need for action. Carter said there was plenty of debate about Musk over the weekend, but politics aside, having him pass through has been the "talk of the town" in Bella Bella. "No matter what your opinions are of the guy, it was something to follow," he said. And, he said, even though he arrived and left in a private jet, Musk wasn't able to get special treatment at the small-town airport. "It was quite busy, so the plane had to land on one side and the helicopter on the other, so he had to get out and walk a long way," he said. "I'm sure he was hoping to kind of come in and out kind of secretly, but there's definitely no secrets here."
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Tesla owner in disbelief after reviewing unsettling footage: 'File a police report'
A post on the Tesla Model Y subreddit has highlighted a shocking incident: a night shift security guard was caught on camera apparently urinating on the original poster's car. The footage was captured by Tesla's Sentry Mode, a built-in security feature that uses the car's external cameras and sensors to monitor for suspicious activity while the vehicle is parked and locked. The post is two years old, demonstrating that public criticism of Tesla isn't new. But in a year when the automaker has been associated, fairly or not, with chief executive officer Elon Musk's political involvement, there have been a number of incidents targeting Teslas and their owners. Some are concerned that dislike of the well-known company's leadership could slow wider electric vehicle adoption and progress toward a more sustainable future. Vandalism of EVs and their charging infrastructure could create fear and frustration among current owners and even discourage new buyers, making the transition away from gas and oil that much harder at a time when reducing our reliance on fossil fuels is urgent. Meanwhile, those looking to pursue EV adoption can rest assured that going electric can bring both economic and environmental benefits — and that they have options. With a growing variety of EV brands on the market, each offering different attributes, there's no need for prospective buyers to feel limited to any one maker. There are also more charging options than ever before. Switching from a traditional car to an EV can already help drivers reduce costs by cutting gas and related maintenance. But EVs can become even cleaner and more affordable when charged using solar energy. Drivers interested in further reducing their environmental impacts and utility costs by making the change to solar at home can use free tools from EnergySage to find quotes from vetted local installers, with the potential to save up to $10,000. Commenters expressed frustration over the act of vandalism, along with empathy for the car owner. Many encouraged them to "file a police report." One commenter wrote, "I don't get this. There is no reason to hate Tesla and Tesla owners." Another added, "I had no idea this was a thing. Just trying to imagine what satisfaction you get by pissing on a car." Would you feel safe driving an EV? Absolutely Depends on the model Not really I already have one Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the the daily Crossword
