George Lucas says laser too much like lightsaber

[Javen]

(CNN) -- "Star Wars" creator George Lucas wants to force a laser company to stop making a new, high-powered product he says looks too much like the famous lightsaber from his classic sci-fi (http://topics.cnn.com/topics/science_fiction) series.
Lucasfilm Ltd. has sent a cease-and-desist letter to Hong Kong-based Wicked Lasers, threatening legal action if it doesn't change its Pro Arctic Laser series or stop selling it altogether.
"It is apparent from the design of the Pro Arctic Laser that it was intended to resemble the hilts of our lightsaber swords, which are protected by copyright ... ," said the letter, dated last month and provided to CNN by Wicked Lasers.


http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/gaming.gadgets/07/06/light.saber.lucas/

[Lord Tesla]

1. Has LFL ever been bothered by the fact that the archetypal lightsaber, the Skywalker Lightsaber they've so proudly displayed and merchandised one way or another, for nigh on to forty years, is a Graflex flashgun? Not just modeled on, or resembling, the Graflex product, but made from one, with some greeblies added?

2. The thing is a laser in a tube, judging from the picture. How do you put a laser in a tube, and not have it have a superficial resemblance to a lightsaber? Or any of the gazillion models and brands of flashlights out there?

3. Are they farming a new cash crop at Skywalker Ranch? Maybe doing a few too many quality checks themselves?

[Morridini]

Just disregarding how absurd that claim is, would a Chinese company even be concerned by a US based copyright?

[Tovor]

Perhaps Lucas should be sued by the makers of all the everyday products that doubled as props that ended up in all 6 movies, including the lady razor that was touched up to be used as Qui-Gon's communicator in TPM, and actual guns and weapons that doubled as laser guns in the films.

[Obi-Stu]

How long can Lucas Film keep a hold on things like this?

[Tovor]

I don't know, but I have but one question to ask. Did Roddenberry or Paramount try to sue the makers of cellular phones at the beginning of their development, for being too similar to the Star Trek hand held communicators, or did they go along with the idea that life was imitating (or at least inspired by, so I've heard) art and be honored that Star Trek was inspiring, with its look of the future, technology today? That's something Mr. Lucas should think about.

[flo fett]

Someone really needs to sit George down and explain how the world works to him.

[redsabre]

^ Tovor, that's something I've wondered about myself, but why not go further? How 'bout the rounded shapes of cars as depicted in sci-fi since the days of Flash Gordon? How about dome shaped housing? It's out there, http://www.formworksbuilding.com and http://www.monolithic.com being but two examples. What about words themselves? Words such as grok, cyberspace, or hyperspace to start with? There are examples of literary works that build upon the works of earlier artists. Stephen King's seven volume series of The Dark Tower is based upon the poem "Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came" by Robert Browning . . . which in it's turn owes a debt to King Lear.

Using GL's logic, every guitar player that bends their strings to change the pitch of a note should pay a royalty to B.B. King, who started using that technique because he didn't want to learn to play slide. Then there were guitarists who tuned the strings down a half-tone to make it easier to bend the strings. I could go on, but you get the idea.

[Tovor]

Redsaber, I agree. Inspiration is the fuel of progress. Where would we be in this age if not for art and media inspiring new lifestyles and tools?




Someone really needs to sit George down and explain how the world works to him.
As far as he knows, thus far, it revolves around him.

[Obi-Stu]

Exactly!