Codebreaker

George Lucas not happy about the real and dangerous light saber

John Moe Jul 1, 2010

Wicked Lasers has been selling a portable laser that looks an awful lot like a Star Wars light saber for around $200.  Anyone can order it online.  It’s also known as one of the most dangerous lasers in existence – it can burn skin, cause blindness and cause other damage.  Now, George Lucas is going after Wicked Lasers.  Lucas’s lawyer has sent a cease and desist notice to the company.  I’m not sure Lucas has a case here, the company never calls it a light saber and it’s hard to imagine that Lucas has a claim to the appearance of a handle. But regardless, maybe the cost of potential litigation will be scary enough to shut this company down and keep their horribly dangerous products off the market. It could be the first useful thing Lucas has done since Return of the Jedi.

There’s a lot happening in the world.  Through it all, Marketplace is here for you. 

You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible. 

Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.