Club Jade

Here’s an interesting tidbit from the Wall Street Journal‘s Deal Journal blog: The Las Vegas Mob Experience, a museum devoted to organized crime, filed for bankruptcy on Monday – and Star Wars seems to be one reason why. A real estate developer used money from the mob museum to fund (no joking) Order 66 Entertainment LLC, which was created to bring the Where Science meets Imagination exhibit to Vegas.

Seriously, how often do you see Revenge of the Sith cited on a non-LFL legal document?

Lucasfilm had one of those up and down days in the UK courts. 

They lost their appeal of a prior rejection in the UK courts against Andrew Ainsworth and his stormtrooper helmet replicas.  In short, the stormtrooper helmets were considered to be utilitarian and not artistic (since they were used as a costume for a movie), so the “antiquated” UK copyright laws did not apply.

But, on the upside, Bloomberg says that this has established that companies can sue to enforce copyrights held in other countries. Corporate lawyers everywhere rejoice.

Fake-pundit fun. Stephen Colbert blasted Mike Huckabee for his comments on Natalie Portman’s pregnancy. “Look, I’m no fan of single mothers either. But it’s Natalie Portman we’re talking about. That kid she’s pregnant with is Luke Skywalker,” Colbert said. “So logically, if you’re against her pregnancy that means you’ve aligned yourself politically with Emperor Palpatine. You’re alienating all of Tatooine. It’s a swing planet.” Of course Tatooine is a swing planet.

Serious matters. An atheist group in the U.K. has launched a campaign to convince folks not to write down “Jedi” on their census forms as a joke. No word on how they feel about ‘real’ Jedi. (via)

Legal. Lucasfilm is back in court again – the British Supreme Court this time – over the Shepperton studios stormtrooper replicas.

Random. Harrison Ford is helping to develop a Facebook game. Okay, so it’s an environmentally-concious Facebook game… But it’s still a Facebook game. Which I guess is better than watching him get his chest waxed again.

In the wake of two futile C&Ds, Lucasfilm has filed a $5M trademark lawsuit against Jedi Mind, Inc., a company which “touts a wireless headset that detects brainwaves on both a conscious and non-conscious level.” But apparently they lack the foresight to talk to a lawyer before formally naming their company. (via)

Ashley Eckstein is getting some ink for Her Universe in the most unlikely of places: ESPN! I don’t doubt being married to an MLB player helps widen the field of interest, but let’s not forget we’re the only fandom with a noteworthy gender disparity. (Sports-loving ladies can see the Alyssa Milano line that Ashley mentions as an inspiration at Fandalia.)

Not the lawsuit you’re looking for… Lucasfilm has backed down from their legal threat against Wicked Lasers, which makes a (you have to admit) very lightsaber-looking laser. But elsewhere in the world, the march continues…

Horrors of the audition tapes. Sylvester Stallone auditioned for Han Solo? Sounds like he didn’t get far enough for tapes, but that’s probably a good thing.

Presented without commentary. Are Jedi Knights Libertarian or Socialist?

Hayden Christensen and his brother are suing the USA Network over the comedic drama Royal Pains, saying that the channel ripped off the concept from a pitch they made in 2005.

I enjoy Royal Pains, but as someone who couldn’t even make it through a half hour of Jumper, I probably wouldn’t have tuned in if Hayden starred. (If that was even the plan.) I’m no lawyer, but seems that’s a point in the Christensen’s favor.

The makers don’t call it a lightsaber (though the internet certainly does) but the Spyder III Arctic laser certainly looks like one, and that’s prompted Lucasfilm to send the Hong Kong company Wicked Lasers a cease and desist.

I’m no lawyer, but the appearance of the laser is pretty blatantly inspired by its fictional forbearer. And anything that might keep “the most dangerous laser ever created” out of the hands of stupid geeks is fine by me.

Billboard advertiser Skywalker Outdoor Inc. is feeling the wrath of Lucasfilm’s legal department. The company had agreed in 2007 to stop using the name, but didn’t followed through.

The U.S. decision in favor of Lucasfilm can’t be held up in the United Kingdom because a judge has ruled that the stormtrooper armor in question are “not works of art.” (via)

The original case of Lucasfilm suing designer Andrew Ainsworth over his reproductions of the stormtrooper outfits ended with both sides claiming victory; Now they’re at it again.