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Lucasarts is just pathetic because they couldn't come up with this before instead of these cheap immitations that only light up when you press a button. I want this.. | |
I like the part about causing cancer myself. I doubt they'll win, although they might make people notice how dangerous it is and possibly ban it. | |
You and me both. | |
lucasfilm twits. if this product goes of market b4 i can purchase it i'm going to be so pissed | |
Lucasarts is taking this a little too seriously... it's not like anyone actually believes they're related. | |
So much alliteration in your titles today Andy, I love it. | |
I think it might just be Lucasarts covering themselves... When some twat inevitably causes permanent blindness in themself or someone else do you think the resulting media frenzy will bother to make the distinction that this product is nothing to do with Lucasarts or is 'Lightsaber' going to be bandied about like there is no tomorrow. | |
I am sure it makes perfect sense in the wonderful logic of intellectual properties laws. But how much sense does it make in practical terms. If such a thing ever entered mass production, does Lucasarts really think someone would genuinely exclaim: "Wow! George Lucas made movies about lightsabers and now he was responsible for engineering them too!" Honestly? Meh...who am I kidding. In the end it's just another grab for more money or more publicity through the vehicle of twisting IP laws past their intended purpose. Also...what's with today's titles? A personal challenge of yours? :D | |
how exactly does this hold up in court, actual working device vs movie prop from 30 years ago ? ..... it's not like it is a patent | |
Are we All Assembled in Andy's Alliterative Afternoon? | |
Concerntrate the beam and have it shine in fragmented bursts and you're got a laser pistol there!! | |
That is just pathetic. What crime has Wicked Lasers commited? | |
You would be surprised at what people will believe. Besides which Lucasarts does have to defend its trademarks if they don't want to lose them. They also have to act to protect themselves from litigation should anyone purchase one and harm themselves or others with it. | |
Someone should punch the director of LucasArts for being such a dick. Also George Lucas, if they aren't the same person. | |
But they don't make any real connection to the lightsaber on the site that sells them... So They've sent a cease and desist letter because other peolpe made the connection? Just add a gun-style hand-grip and get this 'lightsaber' lawsuit avoided and head straight into the 'angry mothers enraged at company for selling harmful 'laser guns' to children' lawsuit. | |
Nice pun in the title. (Almost didn't notice it) | |
Why do we always attack companies for trying to protect their personal interests and investments? Wouldn't you do the same, albeit on a much smaller scale? | |
Easy court win. Lucas "Your laser looks like a lightsaber we are suing!" Maker "No F'in butts. Mine works. How can you copyright a nonworking item? Exactly..." Then burn his beard off with one. Last thing we need is tech being slowed down because jackasses patent nonworking items...and when a real pops they sue for lazy cash. God i hate that about America. | |
I think suing the is the best thing to do.Those "swords" in the hands of the public could be fucking dangerous.And I believe that those "swords" should be publicly tested first.Like how they work in a community. | |
Awww. Thats a real shame...well, I suppose something are too good to be true | |
But George Lucas has more money then God, couldn't he just buy the whole company? | |
good riddance to(potentially) dangerous shit. Thiers no need for a laser that strong in the hands of anyone potentially dumb enough that the might blind or burn someone. Though I must say the catching things on fire bit appeals to my inner Pyromaniac | |
"[...] how they work in a community." ROFL. | |
Lucas should have just bought that company and branded their lightsabers with the Star Wars brand of approval. | |
What gets me is that they "Strongly discourage people from buying it" which is a lie considering they made it, they made it available to the general public and on top of that made it resemble a lightsaber so that Starwars fans would buy it. | |
To be honest. I thought it looked more like a Sonic Screw driver. | |
1) There is no possible way that somebody could sue Lucasarts because they bought one of these things (after signing that they're aware of the dangers), from another company (that is competely unrelated to LA) and violating the items user manual / tech guide (whatever it is that tells you what not to do). 2) Having a tube with some bits on doesn't automatically make something a lightsaber - so there's not necessarily anything to violate copyright. Next thing, Lucasarts is going to try suing a dude that made a pipe bomb (http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d188/avdezign/Camouflage/Pipe-1.jpg) or whoever created the Gorun Nova (http://kanzaka.wikia.com/wiki/Gorun_Nova). It's a nonsense, and we all know it. | |
Sorry Lucas Film but they built an actual lightsaber while you were busy laughing in the faces of your story editors and telling them to squeal like a pig. Even if the courts side with you, I side with the chinese company that made a lightsaber esqe death ray. | |
"Light-Sabers" were in sci-fi before Lucas....so should authors of the genre be sueing him when he is done sueing Wicked Lasers? If you are going to sue because someone "copied your idea" at least have that idea be one of your origional ideas. | |
Ditto. | |
Wait... What? | |
Lucas does have the right you know...generally, people will blame them for their kids buying one and swinging it. | |
Alright! Lets make one in the shape of a gun instead. That'll blow over a lot better. | |
QUICKLY! THE CASH COW ISN'T MAKING MONEY! Start suing people. | |
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Lucas Unleashes the Lawyers on Lightsaber Laser Maker
Lucasfilm has sent a cease-and-desist letter to the makers of the Spyder III Pro Arctic laser, saying it looks a little too much like a lightsaber for its own good.
Remeber the Spyder III Pro Arctic laser? It's a "Class 4" device, which according to Wiki means that it can "burn the skin" and cause "potentially devastating and permanent eye damage," not to mention setting stuff on fire. And in case that's not cool enough, Shanghai-based Wicked Lasers managed to turn this little baby up to 11 by making it look like a lightsaber.
Wicked Lasers doesn't actually make any mention of lightsabers or Star Wars on its website, but nobody's fooled: Sites from Gizmodo to the Wall Street Journal (and, of course, The Escapist) made the obvious connection, as did Lucasfilm, which sent in an entire legion of its best lawyers to take care of business.
"It has come to our attention that a company called Wicked Lasers is selling a highly dangerous product out of Hong Kong that is designed to look like a lightsaber from Star Wars," said Lucasfilm General Counsel David Anderman. "This product is not licensed or approved by Lucasfilm in any way. We have demanded that Wicked Lasers immediately cease and desist their infringing activities."
"As Wicked Lasers itself admits, this product can cause serious injury to the user and other people," he added. "We strongly discourage consumers from purchasing it."
I have no idea how the complaint would hold up in court but it seems to me that it'd be fairly easy to work around by adding a few fins or a pistol grip, or maybe building it into surplus DustBuster cases. It wouldn't be a lightsaber anymore, a definite downside, but a lawsuit avoided is a lawsuit won. I don't think playing up the danger angle is very smart, though; hearing words like "highly dangerous" and "cause serious injury" just makes me want one even more.
Source: Business Wire, via Gizmodo
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