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Stormtroopers Suffer Crushing Defeat in the English Court – Star Wars Copyright Decision Serves as a Reminder to the Creative Industries

In a recent decision, the Court of Appeal of England & Wales dealt a double blow to the creative industries, denying protection under UK copyright law to the helmets and armour worn by the Stormtroopers in George Lucas’s first Star Wars film and refusing to exercise jurisdiction to enforce US copyright against the defendant. In addition, the Court refused to enforce a judgment of a California court against the defendant for copyright infringement. The case demonstrates the considerable limitations of copyright as the basis for protection of works of applied art such as toys, props, fictional characters, costumes, merchandising goods, decorative art articles and many other examples of mass produced, functional or semi-functional designs, and the importance of registering designs and trademarks.

Ron Moscona

Full Story: https://clients.dorsey.com/rs/vm.ashx?ct=24F76F14D3E40AEDC1D089A5D52B931ADFBE7BB3D38714DD4CF371647BF8D90DDD7803A

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Dorsey & Whitney - An International business law firm, applying a business perspective to clients' needs in Missoula, Montana and beyond.

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