Intellectual Property Law

Is it a bird? Is it a 'plane? No...it's Judge Stephen G Larson

By Ilanah

United Press International reports that the heirs of Jerome Siegel, one of the creators of Superman, has won the right to a share in the man of steel?s copyright. Siegel and his co-creator, Joseph Schuster, signed away the copyright to DC Comics for $130 seventy years ago. The decision may pose a challenge to Time Warner?s plans to make new Superman films in the coming years.

IESB.com claims that what this decison actually means may be more complicated than one would expect since the award concerns Superman?s first appearance, and he evolved after that date, with kryptonite and the Daily Planet not coming until later.

The IPKat says this is a toughie. While we might want to reward authors? whose works have become unexpectedly successful, if we?re too willing to vary assignments retrospectively, entrepreneurs won?t enter them at all and the authors will lose out.

Full post as published by IPKat on April 02, 2008 (boomark / email).