George, are you that hard up for cash (we know you're not) that you couldn't just grandfather in a generous licensing scheme (and maybe have him include some pamphlets for YOUR stuff in the box) for this guy?

I mean, since he was sort of instrumental in the creation of one of the most iconic elements of the entire Star Wars universe... seems like you could dig deep and find a soft spot for his him.

A few dollars (or pounds, euros, whatever) per suit, what do you say?

There is no such thing as British law, although there is Scots Law and law practiced in the Courts of England.

Lucasfilm should be sued for making those damn awful prequels. I want ~4 hours of my life back, thankfully I never did see the third one.

So the judge rejected LucasFilms claim and they got nothing, then declared it a victory because the judge "enforced" their claim...

Is their PR man related to the former Iraqi Information Minister?

This is not the ruling you're looking for.

George Lucas, and Lucasfilm, have a pretty decent reputation for dealing with fan activity. Not like some high-profile US movie companies.

So there's something which makes this case exceptional. And it's the sort of high-quality product which could have been licensed as "official".

Though a $20 million judgement in the USA looks more than a bit silly.

i fear the comments on this story are likely to descend into endless SW quotes

that's no moon.......

... "Ainsworth sells suits and helmets to Star Wars fans for up to £1,800..."

Proving yet again that fools and their money are easily parted.

Doesn't the judge realise the man broke US law whilst in the 51st state? Furthermore it's fraud, and they include goods which are likely to be useful to terrists.

Brown should extraordinary rendition the fraudster *and* the judge and set an example to the so-called judiciary that they are not above the law!

Something has just gone out of copyright, there is a ripple in the force, the world has changed subtly, but nevertheless it will never be the same again.

I'm sorry this is a non story, Lucas has milked that one forever if he had his way, his great great grandchildren would be milking royalties from companies making helmets shaped like that for another 1000 years and we'd be a society of lawyers who go to the office to do our lawsuits, come home to read our mail and see how many new lawsuits we have. Then we'd pop down to the supermarket to issue a subpoena or two, then watch 'Lawsuit Extreme' and 'When Cops Get Sued' on TV, finally to go to bed to dream of the day we hit big with one of our lawsuits.

I've seen McCreevy's future and it's not trade and commerce, it's lawyers filing nuisance lawsuits.

/rant

Also did anyone care when Cliff Richards recording of "Schoolboy Crush" went out of copyright? If I didn't mention it here would you care?

only 5 year copyright?

Ye gods! That won't stop Hollywood reproducing crap.. it will just encourage tens or hundreds of nearly identical crappy clones from everyone else!

Copyright and trademark law requires that you actively protect your intellectual property or you will lose like Budwar did in court over the infringement by Budweiser.

Likewise it is not optional, Lucasfilm is obligated to protect their intellectual and physical assets.

It's a small point, but it might make them seem less like ogres to some of you.

which is the irony of course, because the 3rd ones the best of them and i'd say worth watching

"But some would argue that's a small price to pay to transform any wannabe swoop jockey into an elite shock trooper of the Galactic Empire..."

The replicas being sold are of the uniforms used in the first three flicks, in which the stormtroopers couldn't hit a barn door at point blank range.... not exactly my defintion of an elite shock troop.

> Lucasfilm argued that Lucas had already worked out the look of the Stormtrooper

> before asking Ainsworth to cast the helmet.

Yeah. When it was Taxol related data it all became property of those who did not obtained it first, and now we see some designer converted "worked out" wishes to real thing, and result is not his at all.

Question is, whether this sharp turn was due to drastic change of course or merely as a part of ongoing zigzag maneuver ? Jolly Roger knows...

"George Lucas, and Lucasfilm, have a pretty decent reputation for dealing with fan activity."

Did they relent on the guy who made the leet gamer spoof of the episode three trailer? That was stupendously funny and a tribute to the movie, I thought. Yet it was crushed and devoured by Lucas' lawyers in very short order.

Sweaty alert with chip on shoulder in place!