Warner Bros., DC Comics Sued by Superman Co-Creator’s Estate

Warner Bros. Discovery and DC Comics have been sued by the estate of Superman co-creator Joe Shuster over foreign market rights to the iconic alien superhero. The suit aims to block the distribution of the IP in the U.K. and other territories without acquiring a license from the Estate.

Filed by lawyer Marc Toberoff on behalf of the estate’s executor, the suit asserts (read it here) that foreign copyrights should have “automatically reverted to [Shuster’s] estate in 2017,” 25 years after both his and co-creator Jerome Siegel’s deaths. However, “Superman” has continued to be used without Estate authorization, “in direct contravention of these countries’ copyright laws, which require the consent of all joint copyright owners to do so.”

The ongoing dispute was previously rejected by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeal in 2013, with the court finding that Shuster’s sister had signed away his termination rights.

“We fundamentally disagree with the merits of the lawsuit, and will vigorously defend our rights,” said a spokesperson for Warner Bros.

Shuster and Siegel sold the rights to the Superman IP in 1938 for $130. Their heirs have been rigorous in their attempts to reclaim the rights ever since.

No word yet on how this will affect the upcoming release of James Gunn’s Superman, which is slated for to hit theaters July 11.