The Walt Disney Company, through it’s new subsidiary Marvel Entertainment, has sued the heirs of Marvel artist Jack Kirby to quash their copyright claims to the characters co-created by Kirby while he worked at Marvel.
The federal lawsuit filed Friday in Manhattan by Marvel Worldwide Inc. asks a judge to invalidate 45 notices sent by the heirs of artist Jack Kirby to try to terminate Marvel’s copyrights, effective on dates ranging from 2014 through 2019.
The heirs notified several companies last year that the rights to the characters would revert from Marvel to Kirby’s estate.
Let’s hope this doesn’t turn into another Winnie the Pooh situation for the Mouse House. (Well, actually that turned out okay for Mickey, due to plaintiff misconduct, but the case has dragged on for years)
This sort of thing has been going on since the day the comic book was invented. In this case it can go back to Stan Lee – who was always known for taking credit for other people’s work. I know Comic Con folk will want to string me up by my feet when I say this but – Lee never drew or wrote anything. He married the daughter of the original publisher of Marvel. Smart business man? Perhaps. Creative genius? No way.
This could get interesting, because the right to reclaim those ownership rights DOES exist….
Disney might just end up being better off to buy off the Kirby family.
Tony, they’d probably string you up because you are wrong….
Okay, but I was in the business before Stan Lee grew his mustache. I knows what I knows.
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