The epic legal struggle between film-maker George Lucas and a props designer over the ownership of the iconic Star Wars stormtrooper is to have a sequel.

Mr Justice Mann was expected to bring an end to the battle over who owns the copyright to the terrifying figures from the hit sci-fi films.

Instead, he made two rulings at the high court today, one in favour of each side and agreed to allow a further hearing for both parties to apply for permission to challenge his findings.

A selection of stormtrooper helmets were lined up on the front benches of the court as Mann read out his rulings.

He found the film-maker was right in his claim that Ainsworth had infringed the US copyright.

But other claims aimed at stopping replicas being sold from the prop designer's shop in Twickenham, south west London, failed.

Ainsworth's claim to the copyright also failed.

The hearing, which began in April with a row of life-size stormtrooper models in attendance, was told Ainsworth had cast more than 50 of the helmets and suits for the Lucas film in 1976.

In 2004, he discovered one of the originals in a cupboard and went into business manufacturing them for dedicated Star Wars fans.

Some of the films' enthusiasts had paid up to £1,800 for a suit and helmet, the court was told.

Lucasfilm's legal team took on Ainsworth and, in 2006, a California court awarded the company £10m in damages for copyright infringement against his firm, Shepperton Design Studios.

The props man was unable to contest that case because of a lack of funds and Lucasfilm brought the feud to British courts in order to enforce the decision.

Representing Lucasfilm, Michael Bloch QC previously told the court the stormtrooper design was created by various people and had become "one of the most iconic images in modern artistry".

He said the stormtrooper evolved from an original idea by Lucas, which was developed within the studio.

Ainsworth's legal team had argued that copyright on the Stormtrooper's form had expired because it was a piece of industrial design, rather than a work of art.

Source: The Guardian

Comic-Con just revealed a BIG surprise courtesy of an old school property that’s about to get a big screen revamping.

The IMDB.com website has included a work in progress title TRON set for release in 2010 but until now little has been confirmed.

We have just seen footage of a new “TRON” movie and yes, Jeff Bridges is back!

During a Disney panel that was ostensibly set up to promote “Race to Witch Mountain,” the studio waited until the very end to reveal their new version of “TRON” and the new film has an official title; “TR2N”. Yes, it is officially a sequel.

Since no casting or release date had even been announced for the film, the debut of fully completed footage, much less starring Jeff Bridges, caught everyone by surprise.

And it wasn’t just the fact that Bridges appeared in the teaser, the Oscar-nominated actor appeared to be playing two different characters — Flynn (from the original) and a younger version of himself.

Here’s what was shown:

Calling in a second to explain.

- The Disney logo appears and quickly seems to get digitized.

- We pan over ominous clouds into a digital city landscape only to find a man in a updated “Tron” costume. He’s on the run.

- The man jumps into a brand new 2008 version of the familiar light cycle.

- And a huge chase ensues with a pursuer in a dark mask after our racer. Unlike cycle races of old this one goes up and down AND side to side.

- The chased man is vanquished, crashing horrible. As the pursuer gets off his cycle he pulls a familiar disc from his back. The winner looks up to a previously unseen observer.

- And the observer is…Jeff Bridges! An older (and now evil) Flynn?!? He rises from a meditative state in his watchtower to see the pursuer do his bidding.

- The vanquished man pleads to his pursuer. “It’s just a game!” And then the final big reveal: the pursuer takes off his helmet and he is also Bridges, a seemingly younger Bridges!

A poor quality recording of the trailer has surfaced on YouTube but does show some very interesting footage: