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more about #legal BlueBeard: The arguably utilitarian aspect of these uniforms only exists inside the decidedly artistic context of the films. I totally support that people shoul... more » Purple Dave: Utilitarian? Wasn't "not having teeny little viewports on my death squad's helmets" the first entry in the If I Was An Evil Overlord checklist? more » Jeriba: Is this the same court system that ruled in favor of the BBC registering the image of the TARDIS as a trademark? I can't think of many things more uti... more » joetato: This opens up a great new opportunity for stormtroopers to appear in other films. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, now with stormtroopers! The ... more » sjbradshaw: By the way, before Scottish readers flame you to death in defence of their ancient, respected and NOT ENGLISH legal system, you might want to note tha... more » sjbradshaw: When the original court case happened I wrote up the result for my IP law blog. The Court of Appeal has confirmed the High Court's decision on copyrig... more » sjbradshaw: A point a lot of people seem to be forgetting is that Star Wars was made in England (which of course is how Ainsworth got to be one of the prop-makers... more » anaughtybear666007: Lucas needs to be punished for the prequels. I don't care who's right. Just beat George Lucas to death and call it even. more » AmishJohn: The Law is an Ass. more » diverguy: This must also mean that Darth Vader is no longer under copyright overseas. Heck his uniform was so utilitarian, it helped keep the guy alive! So, by ... more » okeribok: If it can be copied, is it art? more » damndirtyape: I have mixed feeling on this. As someone who has designed stuff for Lucasfilm, it's ridiculous to say that those designs are not under copyright. The... more » Al Swearengen: If the uniforms were used for real soldiers, then I would call it industrial design, but the uniforms are used for fake movie soldiers. The entire poi... more » Vondruke: They eyes alone prove it can't be utilitarian, and real helmet would require more of a viewing radius than two holes. (that's what she said?) more » SJ_Edwards: I think it helps to use the phrase "Arts and Crafts" to delineate what has happened here, and why. Whatever is the product of 'Art' (I won't even att... more » yrag: Hmmm. I no particular fan of Lucas the brand, but I'm genuinely curious as to what the British courts judgement would be if a company today created a... more » ThisDudeRufus: People seem to be missing the point. Who cares about the nitpickey bits of copyright law, this means they're going to make Stormtrooper costumes on t... more » Ignited_Impulse: Did it say anything about the cod piece? I don't care if it breaks copyright, a man must be protected. more » tetracycloide: this article minces a few words in its report. the stormtrooper from star wars was not deemed utilitarian. the stormtrooper replica helmets that an ... more » j1mbo: *George waves hand at British Lord Justices Rix* "These are the Stormtroopers that wants to be copyrightable." more » -
#stormtroopersforall
British Court: Stormtroopers Don't Belong To Lucas
Everyone who wants to make their own Stormtrooper costume without fear of reprisals from George Lucas, move to Britain. That seems to be the message sent by the British courts, which have just declared that Star Wars' Stormtroopers aren't copyrightable. More » -
#kirbylawsuit
Who Created Spider-Man?
It's been confirmed that that Jack Kirby's heirs are, indeed, including Spider-Man and supporting characters in their list of Marvel characters that they want the rights to. The only problem with that? Well, Kirby didn't really create the character. More » -
#disneymarvel
Will The Courts Stop Disney/Marvel?
The sale of the century is already under threat from lawsuits, as two separate legal actions are announced that see Marvel shareholders calling foul about the Disney buyout. More » -
#aimurder
Who Is Responsible If A Robot Kills Someone?
When a person kills someone, the law is pretty clear as to responsibility. But what happens if an autonomous machine is responsible for someone's death? The British Royal Academy of Engineering thinks that it's time someone looked into that. More » -
#terminator
Terminator Lawsuits - The Other Shoe Drops
The day after Halcyon, the company that holds the rights to the Terminator franchise, filed suit against their financers, a subsidiary of the same company has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Is this the end of the new Terminator series? More » -
#superman
DC Loses More Superman Rights
A new court ruling has awarded the heirs of Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel the rights to more stories than the previous original Action Comics #1 appearance. Does this increase the possibility of DC Comics losing control of the character? More » -
#superman
The Court Declares Superman's Copyright Situation Confusing
Despite Warner's legal victory against the family of Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel over the character's copyright, the legal future of Clark Kent seems even more complicated than ever - leading the court to appoint an expert to explain it all. More » -
#watchmen
Lawyers, Accountants Still Watching The Watchmen
Next month will see a mediation between Warner Bros. and producer Larry Gordon. The issue to be settled? Just how much Watchmen's legal troubles will cost both parties... and who will be paying Fox. More » -
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#terminatorsalvation
No More Terminator Lawsuit
The latest Terminator skirmish is over, without dramatic gunfights and explosions. We'd be disappointed, except this isn't an episode of Sarah Connor we're talking about, but the lawsuit surrounding the rights ownership of Terminator: Salvation. More » -
#terminatorsalvation
Legally, Terminator Is The New Watchmen
Now that Watchmen has made it to theaters, we need a new SF film to be threatened by legal action. Thankfully, Terminator: Salvation has stepped up to the plate... and into the courtroom. More » -
#watchmenlawsuit20
Meet The Man Who Wants Watchmen To Succeed... And Fail
One of the strangest outcomes of the lawsuit surrounding the movie rights to Watchmen is that producer Larry Gordon stands to profit - and lose - big if the movie's a huge success. Here's why. More » -
#adultcomics
Will Anti-Porn Law Kill Comics In The UK?
Is extreme government censorship about to rob British comic book fans of their monthly fix of ultra-violence? That's what some paranoid fans are expecting, thanks to a new (and vague) anti-pornography law in the UK.
More »
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#thecuriouscaseofbenjaminbutton
The Curious Lawsuit Against Benjamin Button
Was multiple-Oscar nominated Benjamin Button originally written years ago by an Italian office worker? Legal papers filed yesterday say that that's the (curious) case, and now we're waiting for a Judge to weigh in. More » -
#stanlee
With Great Success Comes Great Lawsuit Potential
Spider-Man, X-Men and Iron Man co-creator Stan Lee has found himself the target of a lawsuit claiming that he's not been honest about the financial success of his creations. How far our heroes have fallen. More » -
#watchmen
Watchmen Settlement Reached
Fox and Warners have reached a settlement in their lawsuit over the rights to the Watchmen movie, but exactly what that settlement actually is is remaining a secret... for now, at least.
More »
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#watchmen
Will Talking Save The Day For Watchmen?
It's your daily Watchmen legal battle update - and, as has become customary about this story, forget what we told you yesterday, because the situation has changed... again. More » -
#watchmen
Will We Know Watchmen's Fate By Monday?
Just when we'd gotten used to the idea that Judge Gary Feess could rule as early as January 20th on Fox's delaying Watchmen's release at the end of this month, a new timeline appears. More » -
#watchmen
Is The Watchmen Battle Nearing The End?
The battle over Alan Moore's Watchmen rights may finally reach a decision this January. The trades are reporting that both Fox and Warner Brothers are looking to finish this courtroom brawl, once and for all. More »
