Every so often, the normally staid chancellors of Delaware’s Court of Chancery are faced with circumstances allowing them more creativity in the exercise of their judicial duties than is normally required for issuing important pronouncements on issues of Delaware corporate law. Recently, Vice Chancellor Glasscock was faced with that circumstance in Alfred v. Walt Disney, Co., et al., C.A. No. 10211-VCG (Jan. 14, 2015). In the letter decision, the Vice Chancellor dismisses Mr. Alfred’s claims that Walt Disney Co.–as the plaintiff described it– was “stalling the next evolution of human transportation on this planet” by refusing to license the X-wing name and appearance from its Star Wars franchise for his proposed flying cars.
I simply cannot improve on the Vice Chancellor’s 15-page decision, so I commend it to you for a moment of levity. On Monday morning as you climb into your Ford, Chevy, Toyota, or Jeep (with its tires firmly on terra firma) for your morning commute, know that Walt Disney Co. has been absolved of responsibility for that reality.