Really good trademarks often become so ingrained in the public mind that they start to take on a life of their own, distinct from the original source. Take the mega-lucrative Star Wars universe, for example. Ever since George Lucas created Star Wars, he’s had his full protecting trademarks like “Jedi,” “Lightsaber,” and even “Droid.”
A new software company calling themselves Jedi Mind, Inc. recently felt the sithlike wrath of George Lucas. They had a new set of headphones which (according to them) could sense brain waves and operate a type of remote control software. The product is called “Master Mind.” Lucas, after sending a few cease and desist letters, filed a trademark infringement suit against Jedi Mind in late August. The case is in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, Case No. 10-cv-3632.
Probably due to the unfavorable results of past Lucasfilm trademark infringement suits, Jedi Mind promptly changed their name to Mind Technologies, Inc.
Correct me if I'm wrong here, but isn't there a band called Jedi Mind Tricks that have been (relatively) successful for a while now? I don't believe Lucas has gone after them (yet!).
ReplyDeleteOn a side note, Lucas issued a similar cease and desist to a company that made "lightsabers", but withdrew it later.
http://gizmodo.com/5604771/lucasfilm-retracts-cease-and-desist-against-lightsaber+like-lasers-for-obvious-reasons