Lucas loses Stormtrooper copyright to Ainsworth

[Kamandi]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12910683
Lucas loses Star Wars copyright case at Supreme Court

A prop designer who made the original Stormtrooper helmets for Star Wars has won his copyright battle with director George Lucas over his right to sell replicas. The five-year saga, which ended in the highest court in the land, has stakes of galactic proportions.

For a man who has spent half a decade and almost £700,000 fighting the full force of a movie mogul's legal team, Andrew Ainsworth has refused to be weighed down.

He has had bailiffs at his door demanding $20m (£12m) and has defended the onslaught in the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court - not to mention the US.

(more at link)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12910683
....


So it sounds like Shepperton Studios can finally sell legally in the US???

 

[fosing]

this looks like rocky balboa's alternate ending.

 

[mmurrer]

"For a man who has spent half a decade and almost £700,000 fighting the full force of a movie mogul's legal team, Andrew Ainsworth has refused to be weighed down."

Now that's real motivation right there!

 

[pixletwin]

 

[EVILFACE]

So really, how many replica Stormtrooper helmet companies are needed?

 

[devilof76]

As many as anyone wants there to be, apparently.

 

[Kamandi]

So really, how many replica Stormtrooper helmet companies are needed?

But this is THE Stormtrooper helmet company. This is as good as buying a prop from 1977.

All others are replicas.

 

[devilof76]

I wonder how much can be made on recasting.

 

[Nacho]

Too bad for George...

 

[devilof76]

Too bad for anyone that has to defend a copyright in the UK.

 

[EVILFACE]

People don't care about copyright protection unless it's their property.

 

[Kamandi]

People don't care about copyright protection unless it's their property.

The copyright isn't being violated since it expired. Based on what that article says about the court ruling Stormtrooper Armor (and everything else Ainsworth built for Star Wars in 77) has entered the Public Domain.

 

[devilof76]

And that's because they don't consider it 'sculpture', in which case it wouldn't expire until 70 years after Lucas did. We can ignore that the distinction is completely arbitrary and pretend that the British Supreme Court isn't a joke.

 

[Kamandi]

They weren't sculptures. They were pieces of costume and served a utility as movie props. They were mass produced and many of them were disposed of or destroyed after filming, underscoring that they were utility and not unique works of art.

US copyright is a joke. It only serves big companies.

 

[barryo]

i feel a "what is truly art" debate coming on...............

 

[Kamandi]

Oh god no.

Look, I'm just trying to read the tea leaves here. A UK court decided this, not me.

 

[cplhicks]

Well it looks like ol' georgie boy got brought down a peg.

 

[thenammagazine]

Too bad for anyone that has to defend a copyright in the UK.

People don't care about copyright protection unless it's their property.

This has a bit of merit:

George Lucas and his Hollywood supporters also argued the ruling posed a "significant threat" to the UK film industry as film-makers would be deterred from using UK propmakers for fear of copyright infringement.

Though I can see them _____ing about it despite their own courts being the reason propmaking goes elsewhere.

 

[Devil_666]

I have no idea about any of this situation so I'll ask: Who actually created/conceived and designed the helmet? Was it Lucas or the guy suing? Did Lucas draw it up and ask the dude to simply make it and then the guy turned around and sued claiming it was his? Or did that guy come up with the entire thing himself!? Or was it a collaboration!?

 

[Sweet Rabbit]

I dunno