Marvel's legal battle over the rights to Spider-Man and Doctor Strange seems to be coming to an end. Attorneys representing the company and the estate of Steve Ditko have informed the court that they have reached a mutually agreeable settlement. They anticipate filing a stipulation of dismissal with prejudice in the upcoming weeks.
This dispute originated in 2021 when Marvel faced copyright termination notices from Larry Lieber and the estates of Gene Colan, Steve Ditko, Don Heck, and Don Rico. Numerous characters, including Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow, Hulk, and Thor, were involved in the lawsuits. By June, all but one of the cases had been resolved.
The final disagreement centered around the rights of Ditko's heirs, who co-created Spider-Man and Doctor Strange. The estate sought to reclaim rights to comics such as Amazing Fantasy (which featured Spider-Man's debut in 1962) and Strange Tales (which marked Doctor Strange's first appearance in 1963). The termination notices also encompassed any associated characters, story elements, or indicia related to the works.
Source:
The Hollywood Reporter
On 12/8/2023 at 8:02 PM, tarot said:basically, the mouse paid them off, just like they wanted.
Exactly. Nothing solves creator control issues like cold hard cash
I read this as Disney pays them 10-20-30 million or more--enough so the kids and their kids don't have to work anymore, and they stipulate that no-one talks about it ever again......and it's "resolved" to "everyone's" satisfaction. And the reason that Disney does this is to stem off case-law and precedents bringing slow attrition to their copyrights and trademarks, and future rights litigation. As long as creator rights are not fully litigated and decided in court, then creative works can continue to be exploited for profit, by others.That is what has been established here.
Too bad he didn't live to see it. Good that things are settled now.
AndyL -
2023-12-08 @ 8:12 pm
Man I hope his family got a good chunk. I hate to see how some of these pioneers get screwed out of their creativity.
tarot -
2023-12-08 @ 8:02 pm
basically, the mouse paid them off, just like they wanted.
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