WickedLasers Unveils "Lightsaber" Powerful Enough to Set People

[primexx]

I think I may buy one of these to carry instead of my conceal carry! What better self defense tool than to let the robber live for the rest of his life permanently blind instead of killing them?.

except a bullet doesn't reflect off the robber's skin and kill you along with him.

[exotoxic]

I think I may buy one of these to carry instead of my conceal carry! What better self defense tool than to let the robber live for the rest of his life permanently blind instead of killing them?.

Along with your self and everyone that may be looking???? :rolleyes:

[Yusuf M. Veteran]

I like cool gadgets like this but this is simply too dangerous for the general public. It's a little scary knowing that such a site exists. Imagine the damage someone could do if they're mentally unstable and willing to hurt people.

[.Neo]

Dangerous? I want one! :p

[trieste]

Some Dailytech users are actually arguing against government regulations on the use and sale of this laser because of personal freedom concerns.

[qdave]

I like cool gadgets like this but this is simply too dangerous for the general public. It's a little scary knowing that such a site exists. Imagine the damage someone could do if they're mentally unstable and willing to hurt people.

Mentally unstable could cause injury with hammers or knives or anything really.

[mokthraka]

yeah I dont see why people are saying "oh my god these are so dangerous!" they are just as safe as anything else you can buy such as a gun.

[micro]

You cant buy a gun that comes pre loaded online for 200 dollars.

Edit*

Also people have pre-conceived fears of guns, they know what damage they will do.

A lot of people don't realize how dangerous this laser really is.

[Srugie Veteran]

Might have to pick one of these up for myself...

[Rappy Veteran]

if I was stinking rich and just wanted to waste money I would buy one and put it on the wall or something but wouldn't want to use it though :|

[mokthraka]

Yeah. You can get it on the street for $200 though. And it's much easier then getting the laser pen online.

You cant buy a gun that comes pre loaded online for 200 dollars.

Edit*

Also people have pre-conceived fears of guns, they know what damage they will do.

A lot of people don't realize how dangerous this laser really is.

[x9248]

how is it going to blind you if it breaks?

lol it's made in China... it can still "break" and still be functional. Their use of inferior materials is a hazard.

(Again, no offense but it's true)

[freeeekyyy]

lol it's made in China... it can still "break" and still be functional. Their use of inferior materials is a hazard.

(Again, no offense but it's true)

It's not exactly chinese. It's a hong kong company. Technically, it may be china, but it's entirely different from the mainland. Hong kong is a first world, industrialized, capitalist society. Nothing at all like the rest of china. I'm sure quality is just as good as something made in the US or Japan.

[brentaal]

(CNN) -- "Star Wars" creator George Lucas wants to force a laser company to stop making a new, high-powered product he says looks too much like the famous lightsaber from his classic sci-fi series.

Lucasfilm Ltd. has sent a cease-and-desist letter to Hong Kong-based Wicked Lasers, threatening legal action if it doesn't change its Pro Arctic Laser series or stop selling it altogether.

"It is apparent from the design of the Pro Arctic Laser that it was intended to resemble the hilts of our lightsaber swords, which are protected by copyright ... ," said the letter, dated last month and provided to CNN by Wicked Lasers.

The letter calls the company's newest laser "a highly dangerous product with the potential to cause blindness, burns and other damage to people and/or property."

Steve Liu, CEO of Wicked Lasers, said his 7-year-old company has been selling similar lasers for years and has never compared the product to the Jedi weapon wielded by Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader and others in the "Star Wars" franchise.

"Most people feel it's kind of ridiculous ...," he said. "We would never use any comparison like that to 'Star Wars' or a lightsaber or anything like that."

He called the $199 gadget's design fairly typical for a handheld laser and said it isn't a copy of the lightsaber.

"Lucasfilm shouldn't be saying something like that," he said. "They're a big company that needs to protect their trademarks. Maybe they're having to look like they're protecting their trademark in case they need to [protect it again] later."

The cease-and-desist letter doesn't accuse Wicked of using the term "lightsaber" in its marketing -- which Liu said is primarily aimed at industrial, military and research customers.

But it notes coverage from technology blogs that have frequently made that comparison.

A headline from tech blog Gizmodo called the device "a real life lightsaber." The Daily Tech blog called it "perhaps the first consumer laser weapon" and said it "comes in sleek packaging that looks, unsurprisingly like a lightsaber."

"These references make it clear that the public is being led to believe that the Pro Arctic Laser is an official lightsaber device and/or copied from our design," the Lucasfilm letter said.

A Lucasfilm spokesman did not immediately respond to an e-mail request from CNN for additional comment.

It's not the first time the company has sought help from the courts over perceived copyright threats to its lightsaber laser swords. In 2006, Lucasfilm filed suit against a Maryland-based company that produced lightsaber replicas, saying the products violated "Star Wars" trademarks.

Liu acknowledged that his company's new Spyder III laser is dramatically stronger than lasers from the past. Wicked Lasers advertises it as "the world's most powerful portable laser."

When coverage in the blogosphere increased orders, he said, Wicked altered the laser to add safety features. A safety lock feature prevents accidentally turning on the laser, and an extra lens reduces its power by 80 percent until it's removed.

Every laser is shipped with safety goggles, he said.

"You've got a lot of people who think this is kind of a cool toy, so we've decided not to ship the laser as it was originally advertised," he said.

More than two weeks after receiving the letter from Lucasfilm, Wicked has not stopped selling or changed the laser. The letter asked for written assurance of changes within five business days or threatened "the initiation of legal proceedings without further notice to you."

Liu said he hopes it doesn't come to that.

"Personally, they're some of my favorite movies," he said.

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/TECH/gaming.gadgets/07/06/light.saber.lucas/index.html#fbid=pnC5ufXDkQv&wom=false

[Fubar]

George lucas, you are a f***ing idiot.

[thealexweb]

How can a fictional glowy stick be compared to a real laser?

[MightyJordan]

Wasn't this posted a while ago? I'm pretty sure I saw this story a few weeks ago, but I can't find it in the search.

[Panacik]

George lucas, you are a f***ing idiot.

Urm, what? Why?

If im right, it would be bad for his films as arent these the lasers that are so strong they can burn through the skin jjust with a millisecond of skin contact? They can also cut through metal and wood with ease if its the ones i believe.

[+Nik Louch Subscriber²]

This is the item in question:

It clearly IS designed after one of the props used in his films.

[Growled Member]

Topics merged.

[HawkMan]

George lucas, you are a f***ing idiot.

Right he's an idiot for protecting his own products from people who blatantly ripped off the design completely . seriously, look at that picture in the above post. it doesn't just resemble the Star wars lightsabers, it's en effin replica.

[Panacik]

This is the item in question:

It clearly IS designed after one of the props used in his films.

Exactly. Nothing wrong in him protecting his property

Right he's an idiot for protecting his own products from people who blatantly ripped off the design completely . seriously, look at that picture in the above post. it doesn't just resemble the Star wars lightsabers, it's en effin replica.

Again, exactly that. Its not only a replica, but also dangerous, so would make him look bad, even though its not his company.

[Solid Knight]

I didn't know that you could copyright things that look like other things but don't look the same.

[Panacik]

I didn't know that you could copyright things that look like other things but don't look the same.

For all we know, he might hold the copyright or something to the whole "laser out of a tube thing"...