The big news in copyright law this weekend concerned a stunning turn in the labyrinthine struggle for the Superman copyright. It's all far too complex to summarize here but here's the snapshot version: The heirs of Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel now own a share of the copyright of any aspect of the creation stemming from his first appearance in the first issue of Action Comics. (Touching on everything from his Clark Kent alter ego to Lois Lane to his otherworldly origins, that covers a lot.) For more detailed coverage, here's the New York Times article. And, as usual with all things comic, Publishers Weekly's Heidi MacDonald has excellent breaking coverage over at The Beat.
Siegel and artist Joe Shuster sold the rights to Superman for $130 in 1938. The legal struggles for the Superman copyright, or aspects of it, date back to 1946 and has now stretched past the deaths both men. Siegel died in 1996, Shuster in 1992. Both gained greater recognition through a 1975 campaign that essentially shamed Warner Communications into adding their names to the credits of the then-forthcoming Superman film. Since then the fight has flared up periodically, with another battles concerning the rights to Superboy burning in the background. Whatever the details of the case, there's little doubt that a long, sad history separates this decision and the spark of inspiration that created an the enduring icon of Superman and the flood of superheroes that followed.