Tweet The Superman and Superboy lawsuits are officially over, pending appeal.
Siegel Superman case ends (almost)
03/22/2013 by 13 Comments
TweetAs expected, the district court has ruled that the 2001 settlement agreement between DC and the Siegels is binding and did indeed transfer the Superman copyright to DC. But what about Superboy?
Siegel Heirs Reject 21 Million Dollars
03/05/2013 by 21 Comments
TweetIn keeping with the court’s schedule, yesterday Marc Toberoff filed his response to DC’s summary judgment motion in the Superman/Superboy lawsuits. Toberoff has filed these same arguments before, but the accompanying exhibits do include something new: correspondence in which Laura Siegel Larson and the Siegel estates reject a 21 million dollar payment from DC.
The Eyes of Joanne Siegel
01/25/2013 by 28 Comments
In 2008, the Siegel family won a historic courtroom victory. So why did they risk it all on an appeal? An encounter between Jerry Siegel’s widow, Joanne, and Super Boys author Brad Ricca provides a telling clue.
Do comic company lawyers kill creative freedom?
01/20/2013 by 19 Comments
TweetAmong the many thoughtful questions raised in my discussion with the Superman Homepage earlier this week was whether the Siegel lawsuit prompted changes to Superman’s uniform. This might seem like a small issue, but it reflects serious concerns about freedom and integrity in a corporate context.
Today’s Superman Rulings Explained
01/10/2013 by 52 Comments
Tweet After a surprising victory in 2008, Siegel attorney Marc Toberoff decided to press for the rights to more Superman material. Instead, he lost everything that the Siegel heirs and he himself had won.
Today’s (Partial) Smallville Settlement and the Kardashians
01/03/2013 by 5 Comments
TweetGiven the lively discussion of what folks don’t want to see on The Beat, I couldn’t resist noting that an attorney representing Smallville co-creators Miles Millar and Alfred Gough in their dispute with Time Warner also represented the Kardashian sisters in the epic, never to be forgotten Kardashian Kard case. However, the Smallville dispute is also [...]
Has Toberoff already won the Siegel case?
12/31/2012 by 16 Comments
Over the past year creators’ copyright crusader Marc Toberoff took some serious hits in the various Superman and Kirby lawsuits. Yet there was also a deceptively routine procedural matter that could have already assured him a victory in the Siegel estate’s Superman appeal.
The Legal View: Did Marc Toberoff actually win in today’s Superman case ruling?
12/13/2012 by 5 Comments
You might hear today that the district court judge has handed Toberoff another stunning defeat this week, “a doozy and an outright win for DC.“
It’s actually a win for Toberoff, at least procedurally.
Here’s what happened.
The Legal View: Could Alan Moore regain the WATCHMEN copyright?
11/30/2012 by 12 Comments
In his post, Rich Johnston goes on to wonder whether Alan Moore could eventually terminate the Watchmen transfer from 1985. Commenters argue that this is absurd, but depending on the contract Moore could actually re-claim his share of the property.
The Legal View: What the Shuster ruling means
10/18/2012 by 20 Comments
TweetBy Jeff Trexler In the book of Genesis, Esau sells his birthright to his younger brother Jacob for some lentil soup. Yesterday, a judge ruled that Joe Shuster’s sister sold the family’s claim on the Superman copyright for a meager pension. Superman may be a modern myth, but that’s not always a good thing.
The Legal View: Ticket crashes and the Tardis
08/20/2012 by 3 Comments
Ticketfails have become as much a part of fandom as slashfic and cosplay. While PR flubs and angry complaints get a fair bit of attention, the crash of ticket sales for last week’s promotion of a Doctor Who premiere in New York also illustrates the potential for legal problems.
A few thoughts on the legal dimension of online event ticketing — and why it matters — after the jump.
The Legal View: Legal maneuvering on both sides as judge cancels Superman hearing
08/16/2012 by Leave a Comment
[On Monday, US District judge Otis Wright cancelled a hearing on the case of the Joe Shuster estate's claim for his half of the copyright to Superman. This led many observers to think a decision was near. The Beat's legal expert, Jeff Trexler explains it's just not that simple.]
The Legal View: Historic Documents in the Siegel & Shuster Lawsuits
07/23/2012 by 3 Comments
By Jeff Trexler
— Whatever the merits of the latest summary judgment motion in the dispute over the Superman copyright, its supporting exhibits bring together a number of important documents in two accessible filings.
The Legal View: "Breaking" old news in the Superman copyright case
07/18/2012 by Leave a Comment
By Jeff Trexler
–
Other comic news sites are reporting a bombshell development in DC’s legal fight to hold onto the Superman copyright: on Monday, the company filed a court document asserting that the Shuster estate had actually sold its share of the Superman copyright back to DC in 1992 and affirmed this sale in subsequent correspondence.
The Legal View: Wertham was right
TweetTonight in SoHo, a panel of comics all-stars will discuss the Carol Tilley’s Seducing the Innocent, which purports to expose industry bete noire Fredric Wertham as a fraud. What’s more important for us today, however, is understanding why he was right.