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Sporkman
August 24th, 2010, 02:20 PM
Lucas sues to stop "Jedi Mind" wireless headset

Reuters
By Eriq Gardner Eriq Gardner – Tue Aug 24, 3:29 am ET

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – "Star Wars" creator George Lucas has filed a $5 million trademark lawsuit against a company marketing a technology that allows users to control computer applications directly with their minds.

The defendant is Jedi Mind, Inc., which touts a wireless headset that detects brainwaves on both a conscious and non-conscious level and can even make it possible for users to play games or run software applications with thoughts alone...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100824/media_nm/us_lucas

slackthumbz
August 24th, 2010, 02:27 PM
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100824/media_nm/us_lucas

Meh, Lucas Arts has to protect its trademarks in order to retain them.

On the other hand they have been known to fire off some pretty stupid lawsuits in the name of protecting said trademarks.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/07/08/lucasfilm_laser/

Admittedly in that case they backed off when they realised they were being douchebags.

http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2010/08/03/star-wars-creator-backs-away-from-lightsaber-laser-lawsuit/

LowSky
August 24th, 2010, 02:53 PM
Hey if Verizon has to pay Lucas Arts to use the word Droid than so should the people using the word Jedi.

Tristam Green
August 24th, 2010, 03:43 PM
Licensing the word "droid" is kinda stupid, in my opinion. The word is effectively synonymous with "robot".

"Jedi", however, which is a much more specific term, definitely needs to be protected, and Lucas is well within his rights.

Sporkman
August 24th, 2010, 03:58 PM
Licensing the word "droid" is kinda stupid, in my opinion. The word is effectively synonymous with "robot".


Sounds to me like an abbreviated version of "android", which is a regular English word.

ticopelp
August 24th, 2010, 04:10 PM
Meh, Lucas Arts has to protect its trademarks in order to retain them.

Exactly.


Licensing the word "droid" is kinda stupid, in my opinion. The word is effectively synonymous with "robot".

Due in very large part to the popularity of Star Wars.

Zorgoth
August 24th, 2010, 11:55 PM
I like how many arguments there are about hypothetical lawsuits on these forums. People act like they are real! (referring to suing Android)

cprofitt
August 25th, 2010, 02:57 AM
Meh, Lucas Arts has to protect its trademarks in order to retain them.

On the other hand they have been known to fire off some pretty stupid lawsuits in the name of protecting said trademarks.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/07/08/lucasfilm_laser/

Admittedly in that case they backed off when they realised they were being douchebags.

http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2010/08/03/star-wars-creator-backs-away-from-lightsaber-laser-lawsuit/

I was not aware that Jedi was trademarked... copyright in terms of a sci-fi story sure, but trademark?

Sporkman
August 25th, 2010, 02:59 AM
I was not aware that Jedi was trademarked... copyright in terms of a sci-fi story sure, but trademark?

The movie series was just a promotional vehicle for a very lucrative line of merchandise and licensing.

cprofitt
August 25th, 2010, 03:02 AM
The movie series was just a promotional vehicle for a very lucrative line of merchandise and licensing.

Agreed -- but is Jedi really trademarked?


A trademark or trade mark[1] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trademark#cite_note-0) is a distinctive sign (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sign_%28semiotics%29) or indicator used by an individual, business organization (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_organizations), or other legal entity (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juristic_person) to identify that the products (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_%28economics_and_accounting%29) or services (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Service_%28economics%29) to consumers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer) with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or services from those of other entities.

Lucas Arts is trademarked for sure, but Jedi?