Lucasfilm Ltd. Wins Copyright Infringement Case in British High Court

Maker of Bootleg Star Wars Stormtrooper Costumes Found Liable for
Damages
LONDON--(Business Wire)--
A High Court judge here today found that British firm Shepperton
Design Studios and its principal, Andrew Ainsworth, violated the U.S.
copyrights of Lucasfilm Ltd. by making and selling pirated Star Wars
Stormtrooper helmets and other costume replicas.

Today's ruling by Mr Justice Mann in the High Court of Justice,
Chancery Division, affirmed that Lucasfilm is the sole owner of all
rights to the iconic costume designs.

The court held that Ainsworth infringed Lucasfilm's rights when he
reproduced the Stormtrooper helmet replicas and sold them under a
false claim that he had created the designs, which were used in 1977's
Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope. Ainsworth was a plastics
manufacturer who was hired in 1976 to reproduce designs created by a
team of Lucasfilm artists, including costume designer John Mollo, who
won an Academy Award for his work on the film.

The court found that the factual claims made by Ainsworth and his
company were neither accurate nor reliable, and rejected his
counterclaims seeking a share of the profits from the films.

Lucasfilm brought the case to the British High Court following a
2006 judgment by a California court awarding Lucasfilm $20 million in
damages resulting from Ainsworth's activities. The British court held
that it could apply U.S. law to the matter and ruled in Lucasfilm's
favor on the merits of the infringement case.

The court also held that Ainsworth infringed Lucasfilm's rights
under UK copyright laws, but that a UK-specific law that limits the
enforcement of copyrights in industrial designs applied to the facts
in the case. Lucasfilm is considering whether to appeal the legal
finding under the UK industrial design law.

"We are grateful to the court for its ruling, which makes it clear
that Lucasfilm and George Lucas are the rightful owners of the
copyrights related to Star Wars," said Lucasfilm Vice President Howard
Roffman.

"We do not intend to use this ruling to discourage our fans from
expressing their imagination, creativity and passion for Star Wars
through the costumes and props they make for their personal use,"
Roffman said. "Rather, we see the Court's decision as reaffirming that
those who seek to illegally profit from Star Wars will be brought to
task, wherever they may be."

Proceedings in the High Court of Justice began on April 8. The
trial included testimony from Mollo; Gary Kurtz, producer of Star
Wars: Episode IV A New Hope and Star Wars: Episode V The Empire
Strikes Back; and Roffman, among others. Lucasfilm presented as
evidence scores of sketches, designs, drawings and plans from the
production of the first Star Wars film, which was produced in England
in 1976. Original Imperial Stormtrooper costumes were displayed for
the court as evidence. The trial now moves into the remedies phase, in
which the court will determine the appropriate relief to provide to
Lucasfilm.

Lucasfilm Ltd. is a privately held, fully integrated entertainment
company based in San Francisco, Calif.

Lucasfilm Ltd., the Lucasfilm logo, Star Wars and related
properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and
other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. TM & (C)
Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved. All other trademarks and trade
names are properties of their respective owners.

Lucasfilm Ltd.
John Singh, +1-415-623-1962
john.singh@lucasfilm.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008