3 Count: Blade Runner 2024

Have any suggestions for the 3 Count? Let me know via Twitter @plagiarismtoday.

1: ‘Blade Runner 2049’ Producers Sue Elon Musk, Tesla and Warner Bros. Discovery, Alleging Copyright Infringement

First off today, Todd Spangler at Variety reports that Alcon Entertainment has filed a lawsuit against Tesla, its CEO Elon Musk and Warner Bros. Discovery for alleged copyright infringement.

Alcon is the production company behind Blade Runner 2049. They allege that Musk infringed the film’s copyright when they used AI-generated images depicting scenes from the film in a recent event.

Musk used the clips earlier this month as part of a launch event for Tesla announcing their new robotaxis. The event was presented on the Warner Bros. Discovery lot. The lawsuit accuses the defendants of direct, vicarious and contributory copyright infringement and false endorsement. In addition to damages, it seeks an injunction barring anyone involved from using the footage in the future.

2: NBA Teams Deny Copyright Infringement in Music Lawsuit

Next up today, Michael McCann at Sportico reports that fourteen NBA teams have responded to a lawsuit filed by Kobalt Music accusing them of copyright infringement.

Kobalt filed the lawsuit, alleging that the teams unlawfully used music they control in social media ads. The videos were posted on various social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube and TikTok.

However, the teams have responded, arguing that the plaintiffs waited too long to file the claims. They argue Kobalt was aware of the alleged infringement in February 2021 but only filed the lawsuit in July 2024. The teams also argue that Kobalt is committing copyright misuse and that the ads are fair use.

3: News Corp Sues AI Company Perplexity Over Copyright Claims, Made Up Text

Finally, today, Caitlin Huston at The Hollywood Reporter Esquire reports that Dow Jones, the parent company of the Wall Street Journal and the New York Post, has filed a lawsuit against the AI company Perplexity, alleging copyright infringement.

According to the lawsuit, Perplexity has copied large amounts of material from the papers and repurposed it as a substitute for the source. The lawsuit highlights Perplexity’s “skip the links” feature in that argument.

Like many other publishers, Dow Jones has reached a deal with OpenAI, a competitor of Perplexity. However, the lawsuit alleges Perplexity moved forward without such an arrangement, committing copyright infringement.

The 3 Count Logo was created by Justin Goff and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License.