Joe Shuster's estate files lawsuit against international release of new Superman film
That Park Place reports the estate of Superman co-creator Joe Shuster is filing a lawsuit against the release of James Gunn's new Superman movie in at least a few countries overseas:
The film probably will be released normally, but I'm in no rush to see it, and it won't be surprising if it turns out to be laced with enough wokeness to appall anybody who's long aware of what corporatism did to mainstream superhero fare in the long run.
Just months before Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) is set to release James Gunn’s Superman, a major lawsuit threatens to disrupt its international rollout.Judging from what comments are available at the website, it sounds like not many are bothered this lawsuit was issued, considering how poorly Time Warner's treated the properties in the past quarter century. As noted before, there've been signs the new film doesn't escape political correctness, one more reason it's hard to care where this lawsuit ends up going.
The estate of Joseph Shuster, co-creator of the Man of Steel, has filed a lawsuit in federal court, claiming that WBD and DC Comics lack the legal rights to distribute the upcoming film in Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia. The lawsuit, led by Mark Warren Peary, executor of the Shuster estate, demands a halt to Superman-related releases in those territories, citing automatic copyright reversion laws.
[...] This latest lawsuit focuses on a little-known legal provision affecting copyrights in countries that follow British legal tradition. In these nations, copyrights automatically revert to an author’s estate 25 years after their death, unless explicitly extended.
Shuster died in 1992, meaning his share of Superman’s copyright legally reverted to his estate in 2017 (2021 in Canada). Yet, the estate claims that Warner Bros. continues to exploit the character in these regions without authorization, violating copyright law.
The lawsuit argues that since Superman was co-created by Siegel and Shuster, both estates must approve any new use of the character in these territories.
[...] This legal battle couldn’t come at a worse time for WBD. The studio is relying on Superman as the make-or-break launchpad for James Gunn’s new DC Universe. After years of misfires (The Flash, Black Adam, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, Wonder Woman 1984, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom), DC is in dire need of a hit.
The film probably will be released normally, but I'm in no rush to see it, and it won't be surprising if it turns out to be laced with enough wokeness to appall anybody who's long aware of what corporatism did to mainstream superhero fare in the long run.
Labels: dc comics, Europe and Asia, good artists, history, politics, sales, Superman
