DCU vs. Superman Co-Creator’s Estate: David Corenswet-Led Movie Might Not Be Available in 4 Countries
It seems the Man of Steel is vulnerable not just to Kryptonite, but to copyright lawsuits as well. According to Puck, the ongoing lawsuit against James Gunn’s Superman could potentially prevent the film from being shown in several countries. The estate of Joseph Schuster (co-creator of Superman) wants an injunction that would “block the studio from exploiting the franchise.” Apparently, this is not the first time his estate has tried to sue DC Comics.
Superman Lawsuit Explained
Since the 1930’s the legal rights for Superman have always been a hot topic when Shuster and co-creator Jerry Siegel sold the rights for the character for only $130. Since then, DC Comics has been sued on different occasions for royalties. In 1975, DC Comics made an agreement with the creators that they will receive a stipend every year for the rest of their lives, provided they didn’t contest the character’s ownership anymore. This is what helped DC when the creators sued them again in 2013 with Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, per Screen Rant.
What Will Happen if Schuster’s Estate Wins the Lawsuit?
If the court sides with Schuster’s estate, the David Corenswet-led movie will not be available in Australia, Canada, Ireland, and the U.K. since the estate claimed that the “defendants continue to exploit Superman across these jurisdictions without the Shuster Estate’s authorization.”
Variety reported that Warner Bros. Discovery and DC Comics have filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, claiming that “the issue has already been exhaustively litigated.” Shuster’s nephew, Mark Peary, filed the lawsuit. However, Warner Bros. has mentioned that the courts have repeatedly rejected Peary’s claims since his mother had already signed all the rights to the character after Shuster died in 1992.
Daniel Petrocelli, the studio’s lawyer, said, “Peary’s complaint fails on every ground.” However, Marc Toberoff, the attorney for Shuster’s estate, argued that copyright assignments automatically terminate 25 years after the author’s death in overseas territories.
The studio argued that the creators and heirs have received millions of dollars in royalties and other payments. They also pointed out their agreement with Shuster’s sister and Peary’s mother to cover his debt and to increase the annual payments from $5,000 to $25,000 to her for the remainder of her life. This agreement states that it “fully settles all claims” about Shuster’s copyrights and trademarks.
Per Comingsoon.net (via Yahoo! Entertainment), Superman will enter the public domain in 2034.
