Allen Secretov recently authored an article in Forbes about the estate of Superman co-creator Joseph Shuster’s copyright lawsuit against Warner Bros. Discovery and DC Comics, Inc., using foreign copyright law to allege that the studio lost ownership rights to the character in certain countries, the latest development in a long-standing legal battle. This particular lawsuit could affect the international release of the upcoming Superman film in the U.K., Canada, Ireland, and Australia.
Allen explains that the Shuster estate’s recent lawsuit “cites U.K. copyright law, under which copyright assignments end 25 years after the author’s death. As Shuster died in 1992, the Estate argues it automatically reclaimed certain foreign rights to Superman in 2017.”
Allen adds that without the court order that Shuster’s estate requested being granted, “it’s unlikely that the film’s release will be delayed. Thus, Warner Bros. Discovery may soon get their opportunity to defend their rights by opposing a motion for preliminary injunction likely to be filed by the Estate.”
