Clan Saber Designs

[Ty_Bomber]

I am aware of the hasbro/lucasfilm copyright on the Obi-wan style pommel that everyone pines over, but do the copyrights extend to ALL the sabers from the prequel trilogy? Would it be possible to have parts for "Clan" designs commissioned to Tim, or would that be a legal matter? I think a lot of the parts would be a great addition to the store, but am I alone in this venture?

[beggarsoutpost]

Yes, no, yes and yes....

[Onli-Won Kanomi]

Yes the Lucasfilm copyrights would cover all 'original' saber designs shown onscreen in the PT. Whether those created for the major characters or the more minor characters 'clan' designs, they are clearly the original creative work product of Lucasfilm prop designers who created them for the PT films and thus fully covered by the films' copyrights.

As much as some fans might like to see exact replica parts we must understand TCSS' position in NOT making those allows it to continue making the CUSTOM parts we love too.

[captain_mills]

I'm assuming that if GL were to use any of the custom parts for future saber designs we'd see onscreen (hypothetically of course), that he'd have to get permission from TCSS to use them? In other words, does the copyright law work both ways?

Just curious...

[Greevar]

The way copyright works today is that any works that are not already under copyright are granted copyright upon its creation. If you make a saber that bears no resemblance to any in movies or any other of Lucasarts' works, then what you create, assigns the copyright to you. George Lucas can claim rights to anything he has created, but he doesn't own the idea of lightsabers. Nobody can own an idea. Any saber you create assigns that copyright to you. Any saber GL creates is his copyright. There is the issue of trademark and that's a whole different mess. If GL tried to use designs of your making, he'd be just as liable to litigation as you would be to him for using his.

[Onli-Won Kanomi]

Unca George doesn't own the IDEA of 'lightsabers'; similar ideas of energy swords go back as far in sci-fi as the "Lensman" novels AFAIK and even further...in ancient Celtic mythology the Tuatha De Danaan god-king Nuada Silver-Hand had a "sword of light" the Claimh Solais, one of the "Four Treasures" the Tuatha De brought with them to ancient Ireland. And flaming swords are found in both Biblical and ancient Hindu texts. Even the Doomsday Machine in the Star Trek TOS episode of the same name was seen by Commodore Decker "slicing up" planets with an "energy beam" of "pure antiprotons"; a ship-mounted 'lightsaber' type cutting weapon. So its not a new idea of GL's.

But GL does have a copyright and trademark on the original word "lightsaber". Thus TCSS is The Custom SABER Shop and not TCLS The Custom LIGHTsaber Shop eh?

[Lord Dottore Matto]

Also, Orbital machining is the producer of this particular part. There are many reasons that this is the case and that it is not indeed sold in the store. Sorry that I cannot elaborate, but there we are