UPDATE: Warner Bros. Staves Off Superman Copyright Challenge

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

After a protracted battle between the company that claimed the copyright of Superman against the estates of the creators of the comics superhero that rivaled the epic struggles the Man of Steel fought against criminal mastermind Lex Luthor, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit last week voted 2-1 in favor of Warner Bros, according to Deadline.com.

With Judge Sidney Runyan Thomas dissenting, Judges John Sedwick and Stephen Reinhardt upheld the trial court decision for the entertainment conglomerate against the heirs of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, ruling Warner Bros. is the copyright holder of Superman and his alter ego, intrepid Daily Planet reporter Clark Kent. The case, DC Comics v. Pacific Pictures Corp. et al. (Case No. 12-cv-57245), has been closely watched by the perpetually pre-adolescent staff of this blog (see "TUOL" post 8/17/09).

In a 12-page Memorandum of Law, the appellate court reaffirmed that DC Comics, which is owned by Warner Bros., holds the copyright to Superman, seemingly removing any further obstacles to the studio producing more Superman and Superboy films.

That is, unless, as Superman addicts everywhere know, the decision actually was rendered by the Bizarro-9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

DC Comics Goes After Kryptonite Attorney in Superman Suit

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

DC Comics, which is owned by Time Warner's Warner Bros. division, wants damages from Marc Toberoff, the attorney representing the heirs of Superman co-creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in a copyright suit against the media giant (see "TUOL" post 8/17/09).

In a 56-page complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, the media company seeks declaratory relief concerning alleged copyright termination and assignment issues, and accuses the attorney of interfering with the economic advantage of his clients' agreements with the comic book publisher (DC Comics v. Pacific Pictures Corp., IP Worldwide LLC, IPW LLC, Marc Toberoff et al.).

According to the plaintiff's suit, the Man of Steel's creators never challenged DC Comics' copyrights and their families abided by lifetime compensation agreements entered into with the media company until Attorney Toberoff came onto the scene like Lex Luthor threatening Metropolis (that part's not in the complaint). The plaintiff claims Toberoff persuaded Siegel and Shuster's descendants to repudiate the compensation agreement that resulted in the lawsuit Joanne Siegel & Laura Siegel Larson v. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. et al (Case No. 04-8400). DC Comics accuses Toberoff of violating U.S. Copyright laws and  exploiting the Superman franchise to the media giant's detriment.

As Jimmy Olsen might say: "Jeepers!"

Superman and Bizarro Superman Battle in Court

Image via Wikipedia

Call it the Man of Steel versus the Men of Steal.

Warner Bros. and DC Comics must share the ownership of copyrights of portions of the Superman oeuvre with the heirs of the superhero's creator, Jerry Siegel, ruled Judge Stephen Larson of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Eastern Division. The case is Joanne Siegel and Laura Siegel Larson v. Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., Time Warner, Inc. and DC Comics (Case No. 04-8400).

The plaintiffs are represented by attorney Marc Toberoff, who successfully represented the heirs of the creator of Lassie in a copyright dispute that was a real bitch. Judge Larson's ruling gives the plaintiffs co-ownership of the first two weeks of the Superman daily comic strips, along with part of the backstory of Superman, such as the superhero's origins on planet Krypton and his crash-landing on earth. The defendants are the sole owners of the copyrights involving the term "kryptonite," master villain Lex Luthor, and the tights-wearing hero's ability to fly.

Superman's X-ray vision would have trouble penetrating the judge's 92-page decision.