Lucas Loses 'Star Wars' Porno Suit Federal Court Says Fans Won't Be Confused Posted: 1:38 p.m. EST January 18, 2002 He's a force to be reckoned with at the movies, but not in the courtroom. A federal court in San Francisco this week refused "Star Wars" creator George Lucas' request to block the sale of "Star Ballz," an X-rated animated film that spoofs the science fiction-fantasy classic. In a copyright and trademark infringement suit filed in October, Lucas claimed that the pornographic "Star Wars" spoof could confuse people into believing that the his company either produced or sponsored it. The court ruled, on the other hand, that "the 'Star Wars' films are so famous that it is extremely unlikely consumers would believe that 'Starballz' is associated with 'Star Wars' or Lucasfilm." Lucas has yet to decide if he's going to appeal the ruling. While Lucas obviously doesn't approve of "Star Ballz," he has actively supported fan wishes to parody his films. The Web site Atom Films and Lucas will award filmmakers at Star Wars Fan Film Awards in Indianapolis in early May. --
