The legal war for the rights to Superman has been raging for so long now, it’s hard to remember a time when it wasn’t. At one point, things looked incredibly dour for Warner Bros., DC Comics’ parent company, as a judge had awarded Jerry Siegel’s heirs the rights to the elements of Superman as created in Action Comics #1 (Krypton, the costume, Clark Kent, etc.), leaving Warners with elements created in subsequent comics (Lex Luthor, kryptonite, the all-important Cyborg Superman etc.).
More recently, however, things have been going Warner Bros.’ way, starting with a ruling in October from Judge Otis Wright that the heirs of Superman’s other creator, Joe Shuster, have no claim to Superman’s copyright. Apparently, Shuster’s sister struck an agreement in 1992 to forego any “past, present, or future claims against DC” if the comic book company would pay her $25k a year and cover her brother’s debts.
More recently, however, things have been going Warner Bros.’ way, starting with a ruling in October from Judge Otis Wright that the heirs of Superman’s other creator, Joe Shuster, have no claim to Superman’s copyright. Apparently, Shuster’s sister struck an agreement in 1992 to forego any “past, present, or future claims against DC” if the comic book company would pay her $25k a year and cover her brother’s debts.