Lucas battles maker for rights:

Man that would be crazy if the Ainsworth people win.

They might have a case.

I also hope that the Lucas attorneys dont bring a ROTJ/Special Edition helmet over to court or else the Judge might say that they look different.

Ainsworth might bring one of the orignals.
 
He did not create the look, Ralph McQuarrie created the look. Even if he did create the look, he did it for hire and was compensated for it. It would still belong to LFL.
 
Man, he built for the helmets for Lucas at $69.50 a piece? I would give him $75 right now for one;)

I think there would be a very loooong que for that price! :lol:

Tough one to call on the outcome... ?
Altho RM designed the original look/concept... was it not Ainsworth's final design that was used? I work for a company that design boats for both commercial and MoD have them made by subcontractors but the design house retains the rights?
 
In general, if you create something while working for a particular company, all rights belong to the company. This is true for copyrights, patents, and basically any kind of creative rights. I don't think Ainsworth has a chance fighting this.

It would be like an animator on the Simpsons claiming that they have a right to sell merchandise featuring images of the Simpsons characters just because they've drawn them for the show. Even if they came up with a particular character design, Fox owns the rights to that image.
 
I wonder what's going to happen to the rest of the Costume making communities after this has been settled?? will their be tighter restrictions for people who sell replica gear who are not licensed by LFL? I know most of it is underground but is Lucas going to make it harder for everyone??
 
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I wonder what's going to happen to the rest of the Costume making communitys after this has been settled?? will their be tighter restrictions for people who sell replica gear who are not licensed by LFL? I know most of it is underground anyway but is Lucas going to make it harder for everyone??


That's just what I was wondering.
 
Could of seen this comming a long time ago when home skillet started selling kits for mad cash. But didnt GL send a C&D order a long time ago and knuckle head kept making them?
 
Technically speaking it should be impossible for Ainsworth to win. Though, the issue here is not whether whom owns the copyright, rather, the written agreement, if any, defining the disposition of the final product. The items were sold to LFL. LFL will now need to produce EXACT technical drawings, drafted or otherwise, to prove the items were in fact intellectual properties of LFL, prior to purchasing the items from Ainsworth. I have never seen any imagery, other than what we all have seen, which is MacQuirre's illustrations, Mollo's designs, and maybe some from Johnston, that is exact in comparison other than likenesses (which may prove to be enough, anyway)

Also, let's remember the era in which this situation derives from. People did everything on a napkin, handshake, over a beer, ect. It's highly unlikey there would have been a written legal agreement, other than a proposal. This film was not a HIT rather a beleagured production rife with all kinds of issues, where it almost got canned by the Exec's., no pun intended. Shoot, Seeker could be right. This is gonna be very interesting to watch.
 
The other makers aren't being stupid and claiming they created the trooper, along with selling right out in the public. As long as they stay low on the radar, LFL will probablly leave them alone as he has pretty much done over the years. You get greedy like AA and you bring the wrath of George upon you.
Or as Wyatt Earp said in Tombstone,
"You called down the thunder, well now you've got it"
 
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