Image Source: Warner Bros. Pictures
DC Studios' highly anticipated new "Superman" film, originally slated for a global theatrical release this July, is now facing an unexpected hurdle. Marc Warren Peary, the estate administrator for Joseph Shuster (pictured below), one of Superman's original co-creators, today filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The suit accuses DC Comics and its parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, of copyright infringement, seeking to prevent the new "Superman" movie from being released in certain countries.
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The core of the dispute revolves around the fact that while Shuster and fellow Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel transferred the global rights to Superman to DC in 1938 for a mere $130 (split $65 each), copyright laws in common law countries like Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia include an "automatic termination" provision. This clause dictates that copyright ownership automatically reverts to the author's estate 25 years after their death.
Image Source: DC Comics
Joseph Shuster passed away in 1992, and Jerry Siegel in 1996. Shuster's overseas rights in most territories automatically reverted to his estate in 2017, with Canada following in 2021. However, the lawsuit alleges that the defendants have continued to distribute Superman-related products in these countries without authorization from Shuster's estate administrator, despite such actions requiring the consent of all co-owners of the copyright.
Warren Peary and his legal team vehemently accuse DC and Warner Bros. of blatant and willful infringement, asserting that they have completely disregarded the plaintiff's rights. They are seeking a court order to fully prohibit DC and Warner Bros. and any related parties from engaging in further infringing activities both during and after the trial.