A big thanks to Jeff Ayers for that message and the compliment yesterday, and also to Heidi MacDonald for the link.
Earlier today, Heidi informed us of the Comics Interweb on a recent ruling in the Superman case. It’s a ton of legalize in the release statement but essentially, a court ruled back in 1999 that the Siegel family had a legal right to royalties from the Superman property, but recently the family pushed to get some of those royalties for the “Smallville” property, since it is Superman-related. Excuse the Sportscenter reference, this may be the wrong crowd, but DENIED. From the ruling:
Accordingly, the Court finds that the non-exclusive rights conveyed by DC Comics to Warner Bros. in the Smallville television agreement was not for below fair market value and, therefore, finds for the remaining defendendants on this point as well.
Conclusion: The Court decides this case, as it must, not on the evidence that could have been submitted or even the evidence that should have been submitted, but rather on the evidence that was in fact admitted at trial. Based on the preponderence of that evidence, the Court is compelled to reach the conclusions set forth above and accordingly finds in favor of the defendants [DC Comics] on the issues before the court.
Looks like they won’t be getting anything from the eight seasons of best selling DVDs of Tom Welling running around in a red jacket and blue Levis. Its a shame, but at least they are getting something from DC, it only took 60 years.
