Report: Superman ruling favors Warner Bros.

Deadline reports that The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal has ruled in favor of Warner Bros. in the long-running litigation about the copyright to the character of Superman.  The heirs of Superman’s co-creator, Jerry Siegel, had sued  to reclaim rights to the character.  In 2008, a federal judge ruled in favor of the Siegel estate.   Today, the court ruled that there was a binding agreement in 2001 that gave the studio full rights to the Superman character.  (An October ruling in Warner Bros. favor gave similar stature to an agreement signed by the estate of co-creator Joe Shuster.)

“Today’s ruling vindicates DC Comics’ long-held position that it entered into a binding agreement with the Jerry Siegel family in 2001,” Warner Bros. said in a statement. “The Court’s decision paves the way for the Siegels finally to receive the compensation they negotiated for and which DC has been prepared to pay for over a decade.  We are extremely pleased that Superman’s adventures can continue to be enjoyed across all media platforms worldwide for generations to come. ”

- Matt Price