In a few years, DC Comics/Time Warner will no longer control Superman.
From Variety:
In an ongoing Federal court battle over Superman, Judge Stephen Larson ruled Wednesday that the family of the superhero’s co-creator, Jerry Siegel, has “successfully recaptured” rights to additional works, including the first two weeks of the daily Superman newspaper comic-strips, as well as portions of early Action Comics and Superman comic-books.
This means the Siegels…now control depictions of Superman’s origins from the planet Krypton, his parents Jor-El and Lora, Superman as the infant Kal-El, the launching of the infant Superman into space by his parents as Krypton explodes and his landing on Earth in a fiery crash.
DC owns other elements like Superman’s ability to fly, the term kryptonite, the Lex Luthor and Jimmy Olsen characters, Superman’s powers and expanded origins.
In 2013, additional Superman rights revert to the Siegel estate, but I’m not quite sure what that means. Some reports have implied that DC Comics would no longer own Superman and would have to pay the Siegel family to continue using the character, but other news sites have only implied that it might effect future film adaptations.
is that a reference to Tommy Wiseau?
At what point does Superman enter the public domain?
Superman’s been around for more than fifty years, his creator is deceased, and he’s still not in the public domain. Should be interesting when it DOES finally happen, later this century.
@1 That’s what I was thinking too. But, that’s probably because my frame of reference is currently focused on the upcoming drive to Portland to see The Room in a theater. 😀
at what point does anyone give a fuck about Superman?
@1, 5: I was thinking Harry Nilsson.
“You’re breakin’ my heart / You’re tearin’ it apart / So fuck you.”
It’s Rebel Without a Cause, you cultural illiterates.
I’d love to see Superman move to America’s Best Comics.
Copyright law is so fucking broken.
@5: The Superman comics have been pretty fucking tight the past few years and especially good the past year or so with the New Krypton storyline. Who knew making Superman less unique would make him more interesting?
I suspect that nothing will enter the public domain ever again, if the companies controlling these “properties” have their way. And why won’t they?
Yeah, if the Sonny Bono Act had not passed in 1998, then today everything published before 1934 would be public. Under the old copyright limit of 75 years, Superman would’ve gone public in 2013. Artists would now be enjoying the reimagination of a lot of great 1930s material. As it is, the goddamn Great Gatsby is still privately held. Absurd.
It seems like that should be “affect” instead of “effect” at the end of the post. Unless you mean that it might create future film adaptations.