Edited by Gillian Palmer
Warner Wins Complete Control of Superman in Court
Published in El País
(Spain) on 11 January 2013
by Yolanda Monge (link to original)
There have been many legal battles, but this one ends the war between Warner and the legitimate heirs of the creators of Superman. Three Californian judges ruled that the iconic superhero belongs to Warner and only Warner, who henceforth will have all of the exploitation rights of the famous and lucrative character, whose new movie is to be released in the summer of 2013.
According to the law, the heirs of one of the two creators of Superman, Jerome Siegel, must comply with a letter written in 2001 by the family’s lawyers and accept the offer made by Warner Bros. to buy 50 percent of their part of the rights to the superhero, despite the fact that what was written in that five-page document was never formalized into a contract, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals claims.
Losing this last battle would also involve the loss of certain rights, such as the exploitation of the costume with which Clark Kent becomes Superman. Warner, however, would retain the superhero’s ability to fly. “We are extremely pleased that Superman’s adventures can continue to be enjoyed across all media platforms worldwide for generations to come,” the studio declared in an official statement.
The judges’ decision annuls a former decision made in 2008 that ordered Warner to share with the heirs of the creators an undetermined amount of money earned since 1999 and to give them control over important parts of the enterprise, including the previously mentioned suit.
“The Court's decision paves the way for the Siegels finally to receive the compensation they negotiated for and which DC has been prepared to pay for over a decade,” asserted Warner, regarding its publication division focused on comics. The family’s lawyer, Marc Toberoff, also represents the heirs of the superhero’s other creator, Joseph Shuster, who, last October, also lost the war against Warner over their part of the rights over the Man of Steel.
According to the law, the heirs of one of the two creators of Superman, Jerome Siegel, must comply with a letter written in 2001 by the family’s lawyers and accept the offer made by Warner Bros. to buy 50 percent of their part of the rights to the superhero, despite the fact that what was written in that five-page document was never formalized into a contract, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals claims.
Losing this last battle would also involve the loss of certain rights, such as the exploitation of the costume with which Clark Kent becomes Superman. Warner, however, would retain the superhero’s ability to fly. “We are extremely pleased that Superman’s adventures can continue to be enjoyed across all media platforms worldwide for generations to come,” the studio declared in an official statement.
The judges’ decision annuls a former decision made in 2008 that ordered Warner to share with the heirs of the creators an undetermined amount of money earned since 1999 and to give them control over important parts of the enterprise, including the previously mentioned suit.
“The Court's decision paves the way for the Siegels finally to receive the compensation they negotiated for and which DC has been prepared to pay for over a decade,” asserted Warner, regarding its publication division focused on comics. The family’s lawyer, Marc Toberoff, also represents the heirs of the superhero’s other creator, Joseph Shuster, who, last October, also lost the war against Warner over their part of the rights over the Man of Steel.