Warner Bros/DC Loses Some Rights to SUPERMAN
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- By Venkman
Warner Bros. and DC Comic losing the rights to Superman is kind of a big deal. There has been an ongoing battle for some time now between the studio and the family of Superman’s co-creator Jerry Siegel. Now it looks as if the family of Jerry Siegel has won. They now fully control Superman’s Krypton origins. Judge Stephen Larson ruled Wednesday that they have 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.
In 2008, the same court order ruled on summary judgment that the Siegels had successfully recaptured (as of 1999) Siegel’s copyright in Action Comics No. 1, giving them rights to the Superman character, including his costume, his alter-ego as reporter Clark Kent, the feisty reporter Lois Lane, their jobs at the Daily Planet newspaper working for a gruff editor, and the love triangle among Clark/Superman and Lois. This means that Warner Bros. owes the a lot of money from profits they have collected since 1999.
While ownership of the Man of Steel is one point of all this legal activity, the real issue is money and how much Warner Bros. and DC owe the Siegels from profits they collected from Superman since 1999, when the heirs’ recapture of Siegel’s copyright became effective.
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 a statement, Warner Bros. and DC said:
Warner and DC Comics are pleased that the court has affirmed that the vast majority of key elements associated with the Superman character that were developed after Action Comics No. 1 are not part of the copyrights that the plaintiffs have recaptured and therefore remain solely owned by DC Comics.
In the end they will ultimately loose the rights to the siegel’s. If they want to get a new Superman or even Justice League pic featuring the superhero, Warner Bros. and DC will be forced to go into production by 2011, because come 2013 WB and DC will loose complete rights to the man of steel in 2013.
It’s safe to say that if Warners and DC decide to move forward with a movie, it will be rushed and end up being one last crappy Superman movie that wont be able to dive into Superman’s origins. Once the Siegals have complete control, who knows what they will do. Sell the rights off a gain to the highest bidder? Develope their own buisness and company around it? I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
Source: Variety
I wonder if DC/WB could pump out a ton of material that would be "released" after 2013 and continue to milk this blue and red heifer for every last drop of it creative origins.
Why they are both fighting is beyond me. DC is known largely due to their publishing of Superman (and Batman among others). Everyone knows that DC didn't create Superman so DC needs the Siegels, and vice versa why would the Siegels want to take the character to another publisher when its been associated with DC for so long? Dumb Dumb Dumb
Thanks a lot, Siegel family. I'm sure Jerry would be proud that you've taken away his gift to the world. Use the money to buy some understanding of what Superman means to the entire world and how you're depriving everyone of an incredible Superman story because of fractured rights/copyrights.
First off, its weird to think that merely parts of his origin story can be broken up. But I guess the Seigel's want to hold on to whatever part they can of Superman.
Second, this is a huge reason behind why I'm convinced that once the original author of a work dies, the property should be released into the public domain. (not that that will ever happen).
I highly doubt that Superman is really going anywhere, however. WB is going to make sure the Seigel family is well compensated, and while they may not buy back the rights, they will probably license whatever pieces they need- or simply avoid any references to his origin story. Its rather strange to consider a Superman story that does not in some way reference Krypton- but its not impossible. Either way, Supes isn't going anywhere.
how hilarious would it be if Marvel just for kicks bough up super-man haha i dont rly like supes very much, but i think it would be quite entertaining to see him crash into the marvel U and not remember anything of the DC world haha
If the Siegels own the origins, how does this affect the TV show Smallville? Or do they only own the rights to the origin from Krypton part? As far as I know, Clark's teen and early twenties are a DC innovation.