As completely happy as Disney is to convey out their huge crew of top-notch legal professionals, let’s not neglect that Lucasfilm has a fame for being very protecting of its IP properly earlier than it was acquired by Disney. Did that Lucasfilm as soon as sued Dr. Dre in 2000 for sampling the THX “Deep Note” sound? It’s true!
Also, all through the ’80s and ’90s, it was commonplace for Lucasfilm legal professionals to comb by conventions and confiscate any unofficial scripts, theatrical film posters, and bootleg movies (particularly of the notorious “Star Wars Holiday Special” which is now extensively accessible, however on the time was almost unattainable to search out) and even fan artwork/fanzines. Most of the fan content material that they cared about was of the steamy selection.
On the one hand, I can perceive why George Lucas did not need the “Star Wars” model to be related to X-rated fan fiction, however on the opposite, it isn’t like children had been stumbling upon these things. Back in that period particularly, should you needed to search out that illicit materials you actually needed to search for it.
It wasn’t till the lead-up to the prequels that it felt like Lucasfilm relaxed its fan relations a bit, to the purpose the place the corporate itself promoted and inspired fan movies.
I do not know why somebody at Lucasfilm/Disney took an interview with the OG Darth Vader airing in cinemas within the lead-up to “The Force Awakens” as being one thing to sue over and cease from occurring, nevertheless it’s undoubtedly a nasty look.