Star Wash, the car wash that has been sued by LucasFilm
The production company that created the ‘Star Wars’ saga alleges that the facility, located on the outskirts of Chile’s capital Santiago, infringes copyright
Disney has established itself as one of the biggest franchises in the world. Not only are its economic figures astronomical, but its popularity and number of fans is almost incalculable.
As a result, many have figurines, T-shirts and countless objects featuring their favorite characters. However, when it comes to creating a business related to a Disney universe, things can go awry.
This is what has happened to a car wash located on the outskirts of Santiago, the capital of Chile. Its name is ‘Star Wash’ and, evidently, it is reminiscent of George Lucas’ great film saga: ‘Star Wars’. It could be a mere coincidence, but, in addition to the name, the car wash uses the same typography and even the characters from the movies themselves.
Chewbacca, car wash worker
The car wash has become very popular in Santiago, but also on Instagram, where they have 26,000 followers. In their posts they show how some characters, such as Chewbacca, Darth Vader or a man named Pedro Pascual with a certain resemblance to the real Pedro Pascal, the Mandalorian, clean the vehicles. And not only that: they also show how they attract customers.
This scenario has led them to receive a complaint from LucasFilm, the production company behind the saga and owned by Disney since 2012. As reported by the British newspaper, The Telegraph, the owner of the car wash received the complaint from the production company while trying to register the name of the business. They claim that the name can generate confusion among customers and make them believe that it is affiliated with the franchise.
Despite this, on his own Instagram account, the owner tries to cope with humor and staying strong in the face of this event.
“The lawsuit sparks confrontation, alleging that the name ‘Star Wash’ infringes on the domains of the legendary ‘Star Wars’ trademark, triggering concerns that it may sow confusion and take undue advantage of the renowned galactic fame. We will stand strong, the force is with us,” he said.
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