‘Star Wars’ prop sparks lawsuit
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Lawyers for George Lucas’ Lucasfilm Ltd. and a British prop designer faced off in London’s High Court Tuesday over rights to the molded white Stormtrooper uniforms from the “Star Wars” films.
Standing alongside the bewigged, black-robed lawyers in court was the object of their dispute: a 6-foot-tall, helmeted warrior of the evil Galactic Empire. At issue: Who designed it?
Lucasfilm claims violation of copyright and trademarks by prop designer Andrew Ainsworth, who sculpted the Stormtrooper helmets for the first “Star Wars” movie in 1977. London-based Ainsworth sells replicas of the helmets and armor, which he says are made from the original molds, on his website.
Lucasfilm won a $20-million judgment against Ainsworth in a California court in 2006 and is seeking to have it enforced in Britain.
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