Walt Disney production company Lucasfilm is suing themed Chilean car wash Star Wash, accusing it of plagiarising the galactic film saga Star Wars.
Key points:
- The car wash owner said he was in the process of registering his brand with the Chilean patent authority when he received the lawsuit from the Star Wars creator
- Lawyers say Lucasfilm wants to block the registration of the name Star Wash as it could be confused as being affiliated with the franchise
- Star Wash's owner argues the name is sufficiently different enough from the movie franchise to avoid confusion
On a regular day at Star Wash, a car wash company on the outskirts of Chilean capital Santiago, patrons can see Chewbacca or a stormtrooper wiping down hoods or Darth Vader appearing to use The Force to summon cleaning cloths.
But the law firm representing the car wash said while owner Matias Jara was in the process of registering his brand with Chilean patent authority INAPI, he received a lawsuit from the franchise's creator, Lucasfilm.
Mr Jara's lawyers said Lucasfilm wanted to block the registration of the name and argued the brand could be confused as being affiliated with it.
It had not raised issues with the attendants, the lawyers said.
Lucasfilm, which was acquired by Disney in 2012, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Mr Jara is contesting the suit and argues the name is sufficiently different enough from the movie franchise to avoid confusion.
He also argues that while the production company's copyright covers products such as toys, furniture and non-alcoholic drinks, it does not extend to cleaning cars.
"Of course this lawsuit is affecting us. We're a small business and we're spending on things we hadn't budgeted for," Mr Jara said.
He said his young daughter had thought of the wordplay while on a family trip to a Disney theme park in the US which features a Star Wars area.
"We don't make movies or sell their products or anything like that," Mr Jara added.
He did note his business was, however, a "stellar" car wash.
Reuters