It seems a Hong Kong electronics company thought it was far, far away enough from the Galactic Empire of filmmaker George Lucas to get away with selling a “lightsaber” just like the ones used by Jedi and Sith warriors in the “Star Wars” movies.
For just $200, Wicked Lasers’ Spyder III Pro Artic Series emits a 445nm cool-blue, ultra-high power 1W beam and comes with a set of standard safety lenses as well as “removable training lenses.”
And that’s a good thing, because, if the company’s description is to be believed, “extremely dangerous is an understatement. At close range, this Class 4 beam will cause immediate and irreversible retinal damage.
“Supplies are extremely limited as voluntary and regulatory restrictions increase the difficulty to purchase Class IV portable lasers,” the product’s webpage goes on to say.
If you ask me, it all sounds a little bit like the hype used around early 3-D horror movies, which often were advertised as so terrifying that they required paramedics standing by on theater premises and advised those moviegoers with heart conditions to stay away. (We’re beginning to see that sort of thing rear its ugly head again with the trailers for “Paranormal Activity 2,” but that’s another story.)
But Lucasfilm aren’t the kind of folks to sit around and let someone use the look of one of their iconic properties for their own financial gain — especially one that is so blatantly and shamelessly promoted as dangerous. The company, as expected, this week sent a cease-and-desist letter to Wicked Laser.
“It has come to our attention that a company called Wicked Lasers is selling a highly dangerous product out of Hong Kong that is designed to look like a lightsaber from Star Wars,” wrote Lucasfilm General Counsel David Anderman. “This product is not licensed or approved by Lucasfilm in any way. We have demanded that Wicked Lasers immediately cease and desist their infringing activities. As Wicked Lasers itself admits, this product can cause serious injury to the user and other people. We strongly discourage consumers from purchasing it.”
While Wicked’s webpage doesn’t actually SAY their product was designed to appeal to “Star Wars” fans — look at the thing! It’s obvious it was meant to look like the legendary weapon of the noble Jedi Knights and their evil Sith Lord counterparts.
What do you think? Is Wicked out of line, or Lucasfilm too sensitive about what many would call a faded brand? Would you risk lifelong blindness — and the wrath of Lucasfilm Ltd — just to hold your very own, working “laser sword?”
