George Lucas Threatens Laser Maker

m3ta1head said:
A kitchen knife can't blind someone from hundreds of meters away.
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The NOHD is only 211 meters, past that you'll be able to blink fast enough to avoid permanent eye damage.

Also, this 445nm non-ionizing laser, no matter how powerful, will not cause cancer. At least no more than burning your arm on a frying pan or daily exposure to sunlight will. Annoying amount of research to come to that conclusion.
 
Dan_D said:
Given that George Lucas had the foresight to copy the term "DROID" I have no doubt that he copied enough aspects of the lightsaber to make this a viable copyright infringement case.
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Droid may have been trademarked, though I kind of doubt it. You can't copyright a word. Verizon might have paid them off to avoid a legal battle, but they would almost certainly have won if they had fought, given that Lucasarts is neither actively using the trademark nor is there any confusion that Verizon's use of Droid has nothing to do with Lucas' robots. Trademark is very different from copyright and does not give you blanket use of the mark; it is domain specific, requires that the trademark be in active use, and that the 'infringing' use could potentially cause confusion. An argument that Droid is a trademark in the first place (they've never used it as a trade name as far as I know) is pretty weak, and trying to claim it's in active use and would confuse customers? Not a chance.

In this case here, they seem to be claiming that something that bears a passing likeness to a prop in their films is somehow infringing their copyright. Copyright is about copying artworks, it's not about 'oh he made something that looks kind of like something I made once'. Likeness is not a copyright violation in itself. This laser is not intentionally copying the lightsaber design, doesn't even bear a particularly close resemblance to any of their designs I've seen, isn't being passed off as a lightsaber and is designed how it is almost purely out of function alone. I'm quite sure they don't have a case and are just bullying.
 
It's also worth mentioning that Wickedlasers firebombed all their prices so they are finally worth looking at. It seems this laser's great public reception allowed them to change their business model.

But back to what I mentioned earlier, a high wavelength IR laser does not solicit a blink response. Far weaker diodes can do more damage to the human eye than more powerful visible spectrum diodes. With this blue laser the human eye will react in 0.1seconds and block out the light. Now imagine a laser focused on your eye and you don't blink for while because you cant see it.
 
Did anyone not see a desist letter coming? No approval on the site and plenty of resemblance to a light saber. Marketed that way too. Wicked Lasers needed a little spanking even if it was by Lucas.
 
I think the C&D is more to protect LucasArts from any liability issues from the resemblance of the 'light saber' laser blinding someone and an overly litigious lawyer going after LucasArts as well. Now that they've issues a C&D, they are covered. At least in my mind.
 
Wouldn't a C&D encourage people to think it's a lightsaber? How does that protect them from liabilities?
 
Vectrexer said:
Did anyone not see a desist letter coming? No approval on the site and plenty of resemblance to a light saber. Marketed that way too. Wicked Lasers needed a little spanking even if it was by Lucas.
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Wicked never marketed their laser as a "light saber" and never hinted to it. The media sensationalized it and made the comparison. The Spyder host has been around long before it was used for the Arctic. Lucas shouldn't have a leg to stand on.
 
Considering a model light saber costs ~ $200 (one that lights up and looks legit in the dark)

Might as well buy one before they've got a George Lucas brand on 'em and cost $400
 
Monkey God said:
I didn't order one? Thanks for letting me know what I did or didn't do.
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Well, he's right isn't he? It's clear you didn't order one. Those who did order them are getting email updates, which disproves your "not a peep" theory.
 
i sense a disturbance in the force. oh never mind its George Lucas telling someone thats his again.
 
One would think at some point a person like George Lucas would sit back, look around, realize "Damn, I have it all, fame, fortune, more money than I could spend in 50 lifetimes, I've touched lives with my stories and movies, people know me on sight, I can do anything I want with the rest of my days..." and wonder how the next thought becomes "... I suppose I'll go after anybody that even dares attempt to infringe or use anything I've ever touched or created just because I can."

George, have a Coke and a smile and STFU, buddy. Get over yourself.
 
This just in!

George Lucas owns the rights to anything tube shaped that fits in your hand.

His next target: Tampax.
 
HenryBravo said:
Well, he's right isn't he? It's clear you didn't order one. Those who did order them are getting email updates, which disproves your "not a peep" theory.
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I did order one, and Ive gotten no updates, so STFU. I emailed them once and they said there would be delays, no other communication since then.
 
Ryokurin said:
Not even in the same ballpark. Class IV lasers will blind you INSTANTLY. It's not your typical Class II and III devices that they sell at the Wal-Mart check out line that will blind you if you stare at it for 20-30 seconds. Even a reflection from a window can blind you instantly.
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I can buy a .25 pistol for $100.00 that can be concealed in a jacket and will blind you instantly. What's your point?
 
OregonLAN said:
I can buy a .25 pistol for $100.00 that can be concealed in a jacket and will blind you instantly. What's your point?
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IMO the laser carries a far higher risk of accidental injury. Anyone in proximity, regardless of where the laser is pointed or what direction they're looking is at high risk. The reflection off a white surface, or catching a glint off a piece of glass can blind you.

With the handgun, its effect is predictable - bullet comes out one end - if you're in the way, you get hurt. Not so with the laser. The public also 'understands' handguns to enough of a degree to know to respect them. I'm not sure that's true of lasers, especially lasers powerful enough to hurt you even if you aren't looking directly into the beam.
 
keenan said:
IMO the laser carries a far higher risk of accidental injury. Anyone in proximity, regardless of where the laser is pointed or what direction they're looking is at high risk. The reflection off a white surface, or catching a glint off a piece of glass can blind you.

With the handgun, its effect is predictable - bullet comes out one end - if you're in the way, you get hurt. Not so with the laser. The public also 'understands' handguns to enough of a degree to know to respect them. I'm not sure that's true of lasers, especially lasers powerful enough to hurt you even if you aren't looking directly into the beam.
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I guess it's time to start walking around with a very thick blindfold, except ninja style so you can click your tounge and echolocate and know your surroundings better than someone who could see! BOOM
 
Like a poster already stated... one cannot copyright a 'lightsaber hilt' prop'. Lucas & co may have a patent on the design and may even have it trademarked, but copyright are reserved for creative works put in a fixed medium. Music, Video, Books, and Paintings/Pictures. I don't think parts of sculptures can be copywritten.
 
This laser is kind of scary and I wouldn't buy one for myself, but Lucas needs to go away.
 
I hope Lucas wins. I will then copywrite things which are not yet invented so I own them! First on my list is "cure for cancer". Beat that, biaches!
 
so what if you were fooling around with this thing and it reflected into your eye for a second BUT you had the included safety goggles on? any protection there? really cool but frightening as hell at the same time.
 
where's the edit button? anyway... can anyone elaborate on the lens kit options? it says training lens included but then offers a basic lens kit and an expanded lens kit. doesn't really appear to be any information on the page for it.
 
m3ta1head said:
A kitchen knife can't blind someone from hundreds of meters away.
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I beg to differ my friend ^_^

knife-scope.jpg
 
lash_larue said:
where's the edit button? anyway... can anyone elaborate on the lens kit options? it says training lens included but then offers a basic lens kit and an expanded lens kit. doesn't really appear to be any information on the page for it.
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lash_larue said:
so what if you were fooling around with this thing and it reflected into your eye for a second BUT you had the included safety goggles on? any protection there? really cool but frightening as hell at the same time.
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From what I understand, even a scattered/stray reflection can do permanent damage if you have the goggles on. The goggles also ruin all the fun-you can only see the laser point, not the beam.

As far as the basic and advanced training lenses, I was wondering about that too. I was so very close to pulling the trigger, had to thing long and hard before finally deciding that this was too much laser for me. I don't think I could handle the responsibility that comes with owning this, not to mention I have too many dumbfuck friends who would blind each other within seconds of touching this thing.

MonK_TanG said:
I beg to differ my friend ^_^

knife-scope.jpg
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You, sir, win this thread
Posted via [H] Mobile Device
 
i can beat that knife - hang on let me get a shark and duct tape one of these things to its head hahaha.

i actually would like to use it on the squirrels that dig in my garden and flowers. can't discharge a firearm in the city limits and the bb gun i have isn't accurate for crap. this would be silent and should discourage them pretty easily but like you said, that's a very heavy responsibility to have on your shoulders.
 
I can't wait for light sabers.....Then all the nerds will buy them whoops they lost there head twirling around a light saber they a baton.

If the fans die then maybe the series will die.
 
lash_larue said:
i can beat that knife - hang on let me get a shark and duct tape one of these things to its head hahaha.

i actually would like to use it on the squirrels that dig in my garden and flowers. can't discharge a firearm in the city limits and the bb gun i have isn't accurate for crap. this would be silent and should discourage them pretty easily but like you said, that's a very heavy responsibility to have on your shoulders.
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Try lead pellets instead of BB's. They're much more consistent. BB's will fly off target by several inches after a short distance, but pellets will remain accurate to at least 25 yards. A friend of mine uses his pellet rifle to shoot carpenter bees out of the air when they try boring holes in his shed. That's with a $30 Daisy pump rifle and iron sights. That may sound impossible, but he's a bit of an expert marksman, and carpenter bees like to hover in one spot. I asked him why he resorted to such an odd pest control strategy, and his reply was that carpenter bees are like flying tanks that are impervious to every poison in existence. A full stream of wasp spray only annoyed them. The only way he could find to kill the things was to shoot them out of the air and then stomp them to death. Anyway, pellets are your answer if your rifle can use them.
 
lash_larue said:
where's the edit button? anyway... can anyone elaborate on the lens kit options? it says training lens included but then offers a basic lens kit and an expanded lens kit. doesn't really appear to be any information on the page for it.
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Probably just ways to defuse the light so it's not as dangerous. I know when they first announced it, it wasn't going to come with a lens, and then they decided to include it, probably to cover their ass. I don't know if it will knock it down below 3b however.
 
Phoenix333 said:
Try lead pellets instead of BB's. They're much more consistent. BB's will fly off target by several inches after a short distance, but pellets will remain accurate to at least 25 yards. A friend of mine uses his pellet rifle to shoot carpenter bees out of the air when they try boring holes in his shed. That's with a $30 Daisy pump rifle and iron sights. That may sound impossible, but he's a bit of an expert marksman, and carpenter bees like to hover in one spot. I asked him why he resorted to such an odd pest control strategy, and his reply was that carpenter bees are like flying tanks that are impervious to every poison in existence. A full stream of wasp spray only annoyed them. The only way he could find to kill the things was to shoot them out of the air and then stomp them to death. Anyway, pellets are your answer if your rifle can use them.
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lol, that's awesome. Lasering bugs though... that seems like a great idea.

I know some kid will try that and accidentally slash is friend in the name of hitting the flies.
 
yea it can do pellets but i think i lost the little cartridge thing that you load the pellets into. it has the iron sights and it's a pump like you mentioned. i also have carpenter bees and i have managed to shoot one out of the sky but i was standing directly underneath him. i wait till they get in the hole and start boring and then i pump it up one time and shoot into the hole. normally takes them a while to work the carcass out of the way, especially when there's 2 or 3 in there.
 
Maybe if someone uses this laser to blind George Lucas, he will be able to make a better Star Wars movie in the future.
 
Finally go an update on my order. They said it's going out July 15th.

I'm just curious if I get this thing without any hassles. Then it will sit unused in my closet.
 
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