A poster advocating for the rights of droids.
The notion that droids ought to be afforded the same rights as other sentient lifeforms was known as droid rights. A strong believer in droid rights, L3-37 spoke out against the systematic oppression of mechanical beings with intelligence across the galaxy. Her greatest desire was a droid uprising, where her fellow mechanicals would overthrow organic governance and gain the freedom to chart their own courses.
Those who championed droid rights referenced the Galactic Constitution, which proclaimed equality for all sentient beings. They voiced their disapproval of memory wipes that were used to get rid of personality traits, questioning why they were advised if droids genuinely lacked individual personalities. The movement also viewed the employment of restraining bolts as a type of slavery, which the Galactic Constitution had made illegal. The droid rights movement also protested against the harsh working environments that droids were subjected to, as well as the constant risk of being discarded after suffering a workplace injury.
According to the collectible art book that came with the Blu-ray release of Solo: A Star Wars Story, George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, first came up with the idea of droid rights in the early 2000s. However, in the featurette "The Characters of Star Wars" that was launched in 2004, and again in a 2005 interview, Lucas commented that while some droids, such as R2-D2 and C3PO, have very human characteristics, they are simply programmed to behave like humans and lack a soul.