In the blue corner is Disney’s Lucasfilm and in the red corner is the owner of Lightsaber Academy, Michael Brown. A trademark lawsuit was brought to Brown for operating his teachings of the force. Brown’s services, which you can find the classes and teaching certifications, presented at LightsaberAcademy.com. The lessons interpret the “core principles” and practice in “Academic Form, Stage, and Dueling.”
Owner of the Star Wars franchise is currently in federal court in regards to cyber-squatting, unfair competition and trademark infringement – something Lucasfilm has dealt with for decades.
Brown has received multiple cease notices and in response, the defendant, Brown has filed a trademark application for “Lightsaber Academy, Inc.”
The complaint states:
Defendants regularly use the Lucasfilm Trademarks without authorization in connection with their businesses. “Among other infringing activities, Defendants use a logo that is nearly identical, and confusingly similar, to Lucasfilm’s trademark Jedi Order logo… round in shape, with six wing-like shapes curving upward (three per side), and an eight-pointed star featuring elongated top and bottom points stretched into a vertical line.”
Lucasfilm is demanding a permanent injunction, damage cost and profits that could equal up to (get your Doctor Evil finger ready) $2 million in damages for each trademark infringed. I think it’s warranted because we all know that Disney could use the spare change.
If you’d like to read the full complaint, you can do so here.