10 Patent and Trademark Stories From a Galaxy Far, Far Away
If you know your patent law, you'd know that LucasFilm -- now owned by Disney, of course -- guards their IP with the Force (seemingly literally, as in they'll choke the lifeforce out of you if someone even TOUCHES an ewok). And they should. You've seen "The Force Awakens," correct? That film was a mega-death-star capable of exploding the silver screen with a lot of happy faces. This is a company that will do anything to protect their imaginative properties, and they have --
Because, Honestly, You Would NOT Believe Just How Many Times Lucasfilm Stepped in to Say "THAT'S OUR PROPERTY"
Intellectual property, of course.... That's the sad truth, though, about pop culture. Try to sell a laser blaster that even remotely looks like something Han Solo would pack, and LucasFilm will have a problem with you, and with this list -- you'll realize even United States Presidents will fear the Force!
- President Reagan's "Star Wars" Defense Program -- Imagine the glee many felt when our President back in that time honored such a legacy and melded it with political policy. LucasFilm, however, didn't like it so much, and here's how it went.
- Those Droids We Keep Seeing -- You know, like C3PO and R2D2. It may seem pretty plain, but LucasFilm took it much farther than you think.
- An "Empire" Beer? -- This story's pretty funny, involving alcohol, but LucasFilm even had a point here in addressing the legal situation.
- The Jedi "Mind Trick" -- Anything with the word "Jedi" in it pretty much was off limits for obvious reasons, as in this story about a little cease-and-desist letter to a manufacturing company.
- That Rapper Dr. Dre -- Gangster rap? Even gangster rap faced the Force? You bet. Here's why.
- "Starballz" -- Making fun of Star Wars was one thing (ever heard of "Spaceballs"?), but apparently this parody took it too far and angered many Jedi at Lucasfilm.
- Those Stormtrooper Helmets -- This story will blow you away as how far disputes could go with everything from design properties to aesthetic pieces. Read about it right here.
- Light Sabers -- There is (or we should say WAS) a real-life manufactured "light saber" (not for kids, and yes, it's dangerous) put out in the market, and guess what LucasFilm did about it.
- AT-AT Walkers -- Wouldn't it be cool to actually see a real-life AT-AT walking around New York City? LucasFilm thought not.
- Leia Holograms -- Star Wars may have arguably trended the whole holographic message thing, and it's surprising we still don't see that kind of technology in today's world. Maybe we will someday -- but LucasFilm will ensure any company won't use a name belonging to their Star Wars universe. Read about it right now to understand the whole story.
But We Want You to Understand One Major Point About LucasFilm and All Their Patents and Trademarks....
They had a right to protect that property. Plain and simple. So you can only imagine what you can do with your own inventions. Your own creations. No one can use them without your permission. And there's a certain power to that. Perhaps a secret power the Jedi had never discovered.