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Copyright Insanity: Courts Continue To Try To Slice And Dice The Superman Copyright
from the who-gets-what-now? dept
For years, I've been watching the rather insane battle between the heirs of Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel and Warner Bros., over who owns what copyrights concerning Superman. The overall details of the case are honestly too bizarre and convoluted to get into all of the details as to how we got here, but suffice it to say, it's yet another example of how twisted copyright has become, in this specific instance, focused on "termination" rights when it comes to copyright. If you want a good detailed explanation of the history here, this is a pretty good summary. As it stands now, both parties own some of the rights to Superman, which makes for some awkward problems. BobinBaltimore alerts us to a short writeup concerning the latest ruling in the ongoing series of court cases, and just a quick summary should detail the insanity that we're dealing with:
The court ruled, for the most part, that the Siegels successfully recaptured most of the works at issue, including those first two weeks of daily Superman strips, as well as key sections of early Action Comics and Superman comics.This means the Siegels, repped by Warners' nemesis Marc Toberoff, now control depictions of Superman's origins from the planet Krypton, his parents Jor-El and Lora, Superman as an infant, the launching of the baby Superman into space and his landing on Earth in a fiery crash.It's like a Solomon-like "splitting of the baby" to figure out who can actually do what. In the meantime... the idea that Superman can fly is covered by copyright? Yikes.
But Warners/DC still owns other elements, including Superman's ability to fly, the term "kryptonite," the villain Lex Luthor, Jimmy Olsen, and some of Superman's powers.
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Can someone explain how this legal quagmire helps to "promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts"?! I won't hold my breath.
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Re:
It makes perfect sense. On Bizarro Earth!!! Who owns the copyright on Bizarro Superman's inability to fly? That's what I want to know.
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It makes perfect sense. On Bizarro Earth!!! Who owns the copyright on Bizarro Superman's inability to fly? That's what I want to know.
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Pay yer royalties!
Shouldn't be surprised. I mean, Warner also owns the rights to Happy Birthday.
It costs $5,000 to sing the song legally. (Page 4,68)
And they called ME insane!
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Superman via Seinfeld
Betcha Seinfeld producers had to pay royalties to use his likeness and even mention him on the show.
Also, if you're going to use a biblical reference, get it right. It's Solomon, not Samson.
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Y'know... Frak 'em.
Seriously, if they think they get to delve this far into anything, frak 'em.
Creatives, carry on as you have been.
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Samson?
Actually, that would be Solomon who ruled that the baby be split. I should know. I own the copyright to the story. My lawyers - Sueman and Shyster - will be in contact.
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Solomon
You mean Solomon, not Samson.
Samson was the guy who got his hair cut off.
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I think superman peeing is covered by copyright too...
http://occasionalplanet.com/id3.html
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Re: Superman via Seinfeld
Beat me to it. Samson was a warrior who defeated and army with the jawbone of an ass. Solomon was a King who came WAY after.
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Re: Re: Superman via Seinfeld
"Beat me to it. Samson was a warrior who defeated and army with the jawbone of an ass"
That's a mistranslation. It's actually the assbone of a jawa.
Common mistake...
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Superman can fly?
In the beginning, at least in the first comic, Superman couldn't fly, only use his super strength to leap tall buildings. So someone had to come up with the idea that what Superman was doing was flying... right? right? What's the difference between that and, say, inventing the light bulb!
I hate that Superman can fly, is affected by kriptonite, and has heat vision... Only his super strength is explained in the comic: Kripton was a larger planet and the people there where super athletes. So, of course the baby is a super athlete in a smaller planet...
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Yah!
So slicing up Superman is fine, but the sequel to Catcher in the Rye gets banned?
I LOVE THIS COUNTRY AND ITS BOUGHT JUDGES AND POLITICIANS!
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changed Samson to Solomon..
Thanks to all who pointed out that Samson should be, indeed, Solomon... I've changed it now..
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Re: Yah!
The author of the sequel should have given the main character to ability to fly.
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Re: Re: Yah!
"The author of the sequel should have given the main character to ability to fly."
And the created a Holden version of Dawson's Creek on the WB, in which Holden is a complete and total vagina.
Just keeping the analogy going...
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this is.....retarded. WTF good is Superman if he can't fly or use only a portion of his powers?
Also, how greedy do you have to be where neither side can come to terms on a complete buyout of the others holdings?
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Superman's entourage
Who does Superman have to pay royalties to if he gets out of bed in the morning? I hope he has a good accountant and psychiatrist.
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Re: Superman's entourage
I'd say he needs a good proctologist more than anything else, given how many people have their hands up his ass...
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Now, I am wondering what would happen if superman suddenly gained the ability to teleport very short distances in any direction, therebye giving the appearance of flight, but actually teleporting... Or perhaps more amusingly, what if he went back in time and killed his baby self by flying. (off camera of course) Who would own the rights to the paradoxe that would ensue?
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Re: Samson?
NICEEE!!!
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Meanwhile on the other side of town...
So it turns out that the only things that can remove Supermans powers, thereby exposing metropolis and the world to to yet another crime wave/global disaster are
1) Kryptonite
2) Copyright Lawyers
Why am I not surprised?
I can actually see the day when the earth's Meteorite defense shield fails as copyright lawyers have tied up the activation code...
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Re: Superman can fly?
Except you're not copyrighting the "light bulb". You're copyrighting the fact that a light bulb creates light, and saying any reference to a light bulb illuminating anything is a violation of those rights.
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How online TV and Movie copyright infringment could be made a thing of the past...
Read this to see how online TV and Movie copyright infringment could be made a thing of the past...
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Re: Can Superman Fly?
Haha, that is right, copyright is just getting completely ridiculous, even with something that has so deeply embedded itself in human culture - Superman. Well, I wish we had one - to come and remedy this absurdity. superman action figures
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