Lightsaber lawsuit: What lightsaber would George Lucas pick?
Listen up, all you Luke Skywalker wanna-bes. The empire has decided not to strike back.
Lucasfilms Ltd. has decided not to sue Wicked Lasers, a Hong Kong-based laser company, for designing the latest laser in its series to resemble a lightsaber.
The "Star Wars" creators sent the laser company a cease-and-desist letter last month, after reviews of its new portable laser on tech websites compared the product to a lightsaber. (The Pro Arctic Laser shoots a high-powered bright blue laser beam from a handle.)
After Wicked Laser made public statements asserting that the product was not endorsed by or affiliated with Lusasfilms, the company relented.
So now that we know that the Wicked Laser 鈥� 鈥渢he most dangerous laser ever created,鈥� according to the website 鈥� is not George Lucas's weapon of choice, what would the Star Wars director pick instead?
- For a top-of-the-line replica, he might opt for the $450 a Lucasfilms licensed collectible of the movie version weapon, complete with an exact replica handle and a blade.
- But that has a solid blade. If Mr. Lucas has some imagination (and it's pretty clear he has lots of imagination ), he might hold out for the lightsaber handle instead. That's right: no blade, no light. But a really cool grip. Not having a blade doesn鈥檛 necessarily bring down the cost. The bladeless will set you back about $300.
- The $120 might be a good option if he wanted something that looks authentic (it鈥檚 also a licensed collectible, though not an exact replica) and is good for dueling. This lightsaber comes in eight different styles that resemble swords used by Star Wars characters in different movies. LED lights line the inside of the sword's blade to give it a warm glow. And it makes battle sound effects.
- If he's looking for a model for a tiny Jedi in his life, he might want to go with Hasbro鈥檚 plastic , which comes with an extendable blade and a belt clip. And it's a bargain at $10.
But wouldn't Lucas want a real laser?
Well, there's the S3 Arctic Spyder III, which 鈥減ossesses the most burning capabilities of any portable laser in existence鈥� and will cause immediate and irreversible retinal and skin damage, according to the company鈥檚 website. Cost: $335.
Oh wait, that's the Wicked Laser that just escaped a Lucasfilm lawsuit. Maybe he'll have to wait until someone develops a better, safer 鈥� and licensed 鈥� version.
