How Patent and Trademark Law Plays a Role in the Design of the Light Saber

Ask yourself this: did Lucasfilm develop the concept, design and creation of the now iconic institution known as the light saber? Well.... Yes, in fact. From a certain point of view. This is where design and reality connect in a huge way, because as far as the law's concerned, there was in fact one bit of a legal dispute between Lucasfilm and a little-known company known as "Wicked Lasers," a manufacturer or a real-life "light saber" practically capable of burning you!

You Can See Where Lucasfilm Went With This Lawsuit About a Light Saber

The product in question was known as the Spyder II Pro-Arctic Laser, an apparatus a few years back capable of generating a super-powerful blue beam that was strictly not meant for kids. Lucasfilm, though, got involved, though, when marketing started coining the product as the "real-life light saber," hinting at the fact that the company was taking cues from one Star Wars mythology.

Lucasfilm, of course, sent their typical cease-and-desist letter like they've done before after noticing that the design of the Spyder II looked rather similar to, say, Luke Skywalker's hilt. Fair enough. However, Wicked Lasers made a surprisingly interesting point: their products are real, whereas the fictional world of Star Wars and their laser blades are not. Yet the design was still pulled from the original setups we all know and love about our Jedi, so a compromise was made:

Really all Wicked Lasers needed to do was add some safety features along with a disclaimer, claiming that the Spyder II was not a "light saber toy," as that's the marketing angle Lucasfilm often takes with their designs and memorabilia, if you will. Case closed.

What Would've Happened if Wicked Lasers Stood Their Ground, Though?

Who knows: it's an interesting case. However, when concerning IP and the like, if a kid saw the Spyder II, you'd have to ask yourself the one question: would that kid mistake the Spyder II for a light saber straight out of Star Wars? Most likely.

And that's where trademark law makes the case. Chances were pretty good that Wicked Lasers would be forced to do something to remedy the dispute somehow.