JK Sabers contact info for copyright infringement...

[Luuke]

It's been a while since I've posted here. My life has changed dramatically in the last year. Too personal and painful to make public but things have gotten better.

Years ago I created Luukesabers which I eventually changed to TheLightsaber.com. It was a site I created all about lightsabers for myself and eventually it developed a nice following. I created all the content and graphics and even some of my own "fan fiction" work.

One of those fan-fiction items was dedicated to my beautiful daughter, Dara Jade. When my then wife and I were close to bringing her into this world I was inspired to create a unique lightsaber just for her. Eventually as the site grew more popular I removed the non-cannon items. I then sold the site a few years later.

Every so often I do a check around the web for fun to see what my legacy is up to. To my dismay it seems there is an individual who has not only built the Dara Jade lightsaber but also appears to be selling it. That somebody is JK SABERS. Seeing how I created this design for my daughter and he is selling it without my permission, he is violating my copyright on this design for profit. I've come accross websites "reviewing" this product I can only assume was aquired through purchase. I've attempted to contact JK Sabers several times to C&D their actions with no response.

I'm very disheartened to find out that a labor of true love to my daughter is being violated in such a way. Any help from anyone would be very much appreciated.

 

[TheDisturbance]

Big fan of your website back in the day. I feel for your situation. Unfortunately the saber community is a lot that doesn't respect IP. I tried finding contact info via their domain jk-sabers It looks like there is a "report abuse" link. Have you tried that?

Here is their Ebay page. You could try winning something and getting their contact info.
eBay My World - jk-sabers

Good Luck,
Mark

 

[rollerboi]

Glad things are turning around for you! I'm sorry to hear about your infringement. Best of luck in tracking them down; you might try contacting them through ebay or contact ebay about them if you think they've sold your saber on there in the past. I don't have a whole lot of faith in them, but sometimes you never know.

 

[Luuke]

Well it seems JK-Sabers is selling another saber. I've already contacted the v-ro program. What a jerk

JK-Sabers Graflex Dara Jade FX Lightsaber - eBay (item 320585366235 end time Sep-10-10 10:00:46 PDT)

 

[sirdaniel1975]

There logo might be in copyright infringement as well. It's very close to the logo to the game "Jedi Academy." I'd shoot a message over to Lucasarts if I were you. Especially since they are making $ off everything ... at $499 a saber.

 

[jediscout]

JC, hey. I've contacted JK Sabres via Ebay in the past and although it took a couple days before I heard from him, he did reply. I hope you guys can work this out fast, between the two of you.

 

[Bowelrock]

I mean no offence by this, but how can you have a copywrite on something that has to do with the Star wars universe? This seemes more like Intelectual Property more than Copywrite. Fan fiction or not its still Star Wars.

 

[rollerboi]

There logo might be in copyright infringement as well. It's very close to the logo to the game "Jedi Academy." I'd shoot a message over to Lucasarts if I were you. Especially since they are making $ off everything ... at $499 a saber.

No, bad form. We don't sacrifice people to those gods here.
We shun people who report others to the studios for whatever reason.

The OP has a personal design that has been infringed, that's all that matters. Focus on that, that's where he has legal standing.

 

[jcoffman99]

And I hate to say it but just because you design something doesn't mean you own the copyright. You have to register it with the copyright office. It sucks and I feel for ya but legally you don't have a leg to stand on.

 

[rollerboi]

And I hate to say it but just because you design something doesn't mean you own the copyright. You have to register it with the copyright office. It sucks and I feel for ya but legally you don't have a leg to stand on.

Actually untrue (at least to my reading and understanding of copyright law). He has two years from the date he first made this saber design public to register it, and holds the copyright to it regardless of registration (provided it meets the criteria for protection).

U.S. Copyright Office - Copyright Law: Chapter 13

§ 1304. Commencement of protection

The protection provided for a design under this chapter shall commence upon the earlier of the date of publication of the registration under section 1313(a) or the date the design is first made public as defined by section 1310(b).


§ 1310. Application for registration

(a) Time Limit for Application for Registration. — Protection under this chapter shall be lost if application for registration of the design is not made within 2 years after the date on which the design is first made public.
(b) When Design Is Made Public. — A design is made public when an existing useful article embodying the design is anywhere publicly exhibited, publicly distributed, or offered for sale or sold to the public by the owner of the design or with the owner's consent.

 

[propologist]

There logo might be in copyright infringement as well. It's very close to the logo to the game "Jedi Academy." I'd shoot a message over to Lucasarts if I were you. Especially since they are making $ off everything ... at $499 a saber.

That is a readily available font and only the font designer could come get you . Also if he took a logo, font and changed it a little it would be ok as well.

I am also fairly certain that lucas has enough people watching sites etc. and if they where concerned they would have done something the day it went up . we might be slow find somethings , but I can assure you they are not.

 

[Mercury]

Yourself and Luukesabers contributed a lot to saber lovers and designers back then so I say do whatever you have to resolve this legally to your satisfaction. Would the fact that this design was made and named after your daughter have any bearing legally in so far as the actual name? I'm not a lawyer, but if nothing else, I would find it disturbing that someone is selling something named after my child and there's no coincidence involved in the choice of the name. Anyway, Good Luck!

 

[jcoffman99]

Actually untrue (at least to my reading and understanding of copyright law). He has two years from the date he first made this saber design public to register it, and holds the copyright to it regardless of registration (provided it meets the criteria for protection).

U.S. Copyright Office - Copyright Law: Chapter 13

§ 1304. Commencement of protection

The protection provided for a design under this chapter shall commence upon the earlier of the date of publication of the registration under section 1313(a) or the date the design is first made public as defined by section 1310(b).



§ 1310. Application for registration

(a) Time Limit for Application for Registration. — Protection under this chapter shall be lost if application for registration of the design is not made within 2 years after the date on which the design is first made public.
(b) When Design Is Made Public. — A design is made public when an existing useful article embodying the design is anywhere publicly exhibited, publicly distributed, or offered for sale or sold to the public by the owner of the design or with the owner's consent.

But he said it was years ago. That's what I was going by. Plus the fact he couldn't copyright it as a "lightsaber" as Uncle George wouldn't allow that. This is an instance that wouldn't hold up in court if he tried to push it.

 

[moffeaton]

So you're saying you were recast?

:angel

 

[Tan Djarka]

But he said it was years ago. That's what I was going by. Plus the fact he couldn't copyright it as a "lightsaber" as Uncle George wouldn't allow that. This is an instance that wouldn't hold up in court if he tried to push it.

As I understand it, both art and literature are protected under copyright law, even if you never formally filed for one. Should there be any dispute, all you have to do is prove you were the originator of the work, and when you created it. And it needn't be copyrighted (?) as a lightsaber. It's just a "fantasy weapon".

 

[p0sitr0nic]

Ive honestly never understood how Lucas claims to own the exclusive rights to a laser sword handle, seeing as those weapons and concepts date before his movies, and he never had the rights to use a graflex or any other camera flash to base his sabers on.

 

[Thibault]

They own the name "lightsaber" and the designs of all prequel and sequel lightsabers excepted for the MPP and the Graflex...
They own too the names "skywalker, anakin, vader etc..."

So, don't sell a metal pipe named "Luke return of the Jedi lightsaber" :lol

 

[Rodann]

He's also selling slight redesigns of MY "Darth Nemesis saber! And calling it DARTH NEMESIS!! He obviously got it from Luukesabers, and even has the audacity to call it by the same name. Not to mention MY version of the Quel-Drin Fal saber. Which makes me think he somehow got his hands on it. Wish I could remember who I sold it to, then I Would have a possible address, maybe.

Just scroll down:


http://sabers34.rssing.com/chan-13409218/all_p1.html

http://jk-sabers.blogspot.com/2010_08_01_archive.html?m=1

https://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=lxxCj9lBecA

http://sabers34.rssing.com/browser.php?indx=13409218&item=8

And this one is just amusingly frustrating:

http://www.lucasforums.com/showthread.php?t=162600