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Empire Strikes Back In Stormtrooper Row

A prop designer who has been selling replica Star Wars Stormtrooper helmets has lost a copyright dispute with creator George Lucas.

Judges at the Supreme Court in London ruled that Andrew Ainsworth, from Twickenham, southwest London, had breached US copyright laws by selling the helmets in his shop.

The court had been asked to rule on a dispute relating to reproductions of the helmet design.

They had to decide whether the helmets were "sculptures" and whether a claim that US copyright law had been infringed was "justiciable in England".

Mr Ainsworth sculpted the galactic warriors' head gear for the original Star Wars film in 1977.

Previous attempts by Lucasfilm Ltd to stop Mr Ainsworth, 62, from selling the replicas in his shop had failed.

On Wednesday judges ruled that the helmets were not works of sculpture meaning the prop designer is still allowed to sell them in his shop but cannot export them to the US.

However, the ruling has paved the way for proceedings to be brought in England over claims of breaches of US copyright.

Mr Ainsworth said: "I am delighted to have won the right to continue to make these replicas from the original tools and moulds."

He added that, after a huge struggle, he can now "focus on producing authentic replicas for serious collectors of these items in the UK".

In a statement, the lawyers said the Supreme Court also laid to rest the debate about whether claims for infringement of foreign copyright law can be litigated in the UK courts.

They said: "It is now clear that the UK courts can entertain such claims, opening the way for claims to be brought in the UK courts in respect of worldwide copyright infringements involving potentially dozens of foreign legal systems."

A statement from Lucasfilm said: "The imaginative characters, props, costumes, and other visual assets that go into making a film are the creative works of artists in the UK and worldwide.

"These works of art should receive the full protection of UK copyright law, just as they do in the rest of the world. The U.K. should not allow itself to become a safe haven for piracy."

:: Sky News is live streaming from the Supreme Court as a part of a campaign to allow cameras in courts in England and Wales.