Who Controls The Stormtroopers?

A British designer says he never signed a contract when he designed the Stormtroopers costume for the original "Star Wars" and so he owns the rights to them. Now he's selling copies made from the original moulds -- helmets cost $600 and complete suits $3000. Maybe someone messed up the paperwork here, but I'm going with Lucas on this one. If the guy always owned the rights to the Stormtrooper looks, why did he wait till 2004 to sell original Stormtrooper costumes at auction (which he may have had the right to do) and until now to start selling copies on his own? Did he just find out that there's money to be made from "Star Wars" memorabilia? I don't think so.