Theme Disney Suing Car Wash for Star Wars Plagiarism

Lucasfilm Blocks Registration: Disney’s Fault?

The lucrative car wash industry is a billion-dollar market, and it follows suit that many endeavor to outdo their competition. Yet, unfortunately for Star Wash proprietor Matias Jara, he found himself embroiled in a lawsuit with the Walt Disney creation Lucasfilm due to his regulation that sported themes from Star Wars.

Reportedly, per Reuters, there is a car wash on the outskirts of Santiago, Chile that purportedly apes the massively successful space-faring film and television saga Star Wars. The reason behind this deduction is the naming of the facility: Star Wash; not to mention, the signage used to draw in customers, including fonts, resemble that of the iconic series. If that was not enough, things reach a crescendo once you set foot inside the shop.

The store, with an online presence, is tended to by staff dressed as characters from the show, namely Darth Vader, Chewbacca, and a Stormtrooper. It would have been even more authentic if someone drove up in a Tesla Cybertruck, a totally electric pick-up vehicle released last November, which has a distinctive futuristic look.

In reaction to the tribunal proceedings, the attorneys touting the trademark of Star Wash declared that Jara was conveying a request for authorization with the Chilean patent office, INAPI. Allegedly, Lucasfilm has regulated this application in order to stop its enterprise from having ties with a vehicle cleaning business. The American film production entity did not make a statement to inquiries concerning the issue.

Jara declared that his carwash shop has a name that is “sufficiently different” from the franchise, so as to prevent any misunderstanding. He also pointed out that the franchise deals in products like toys, furniture, and non-alcoholic drinks – none of which have anything to do with car cleaning. What he did mention, however, was that his shop is “stellar”.

The Star Wash may not be a very big car washing concern, able to manage numerous vehicles at once, yet they solemnly promise to challenge the accusation from the American media corporation.

“It’s no secret that this lawsuit has had an impact on us,” Jara commented in a recent interview. “As a small business, we’ve had to allocate funds to cover unexpected costs.” She went on to say, “We don’t produce films or market any of their products or anything like that.”