TymerDC
Sr Member
The great Lightsaber lawsuit battle is over. Lucasfilm has dropped its legal threat against "Wicked Lasers", a Hong Kong-based toy company that sells "utterly high-powered" Jedi-like Lightsabers.
In a letter dated July 27th , Lucasfilm says it is pleased with Wicked Lasers' efforts to distance itself from any connection to the Star Wars franchise.
The potential confusion between Wicked Lasers' Pro Arctic Lasers and Star Wars is now "significantly reduced," according to the letter.
In June, the production company founded by Star Wars creator George Lucas sent a cease-and-desist letter to Wicked Lasers, claiming the product was too similar to the Lightsabers used by Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader.
Wicked Lasers never marketed the toy as a "Lightsaber" -- it was apparently media that drew comparisons when the product hit store shelves. But the constant reference seemed to imply an endorsement on behalf of Lucasfilm, which prompted the initial legal threat.
The letter asked for written assurance of changes or else Lucasfilm would initiate "legal proceedings." It wasn't the first time Lucasfilm turned to the law to protect its Star Wars franchise. In 2006, Lucasfilm won a trademark lawsuit against High-Tech Magic, a Maryland company that produced Lightsaber replicas.
Media coverage of the potential lawsuit sparked interest among Star Wars fans and Lightsaber enthusiasts -- according to Liu, sales have tripled as a result But the original letter also cited safety concerns, which prompted Wicked Lasers to make improvements. The company's Spyder 3, billed as "the most dangerous laser ever created," now comes with a pair of protective goggles, a safety lock and the laser's default strength is set at just 20 percent of its maximum strength. The laser now sells for $299 -- a $100 price uptick to cover increased production costs.
In a letter dated July 27th , Lucasfilm says it is pleased with Wicked Lasers' efforts to distance itself from any connection to the Star Wars franchise.
The potential confusion between Wicked Lasers' Pro Arctic Lasers and Star Wars is now "significantly reduced," according to the letter.
In June, the production company founded by Star Wars creator George Lucas sent a cease-and-desist letter to Wicked Lasers, claiming the product was too similar to the Lightsabers used by Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader.
Wicked Lasers never marketed the toy as a "Lightsaber" -- it was apparently media that drew comparisons when the product hit store shelves. But the constant reference seemed to imply an endorsement on behalf of Lucasfilm, which prompted the initial legal threat.
The letter asked for written assurance of changes or else Lucasfilm would initiate "legal proceedings." It wasn't the first time Lucasfilm turned to the law to protect its Star Wars franchise. In 2006, Lucasfilm won a trademark lawsuit against High-Tech Magic, a Maryland company that produced Lightsaber replicas.
Media coverage of the potential lawsuit sparked interest among Star Wars fans and Lightsaber enthusiasts -- according to Liu, sales have tripled as a result But the original letter also cited safety concerns, which prompted Wicked Lasers to make improvements. The company's Spyder 3, billed as "the most dangerous laser ever created," now comes with a pair of protective goggles, a safety lock and the laser's default strength is set at just 20 percent of its maximum strength. The laser now sells for $299 -- a $100 price uptick to cover increased production costs.
