NEWYORK: The heirs of Superman co-creator Joseph Shuster have filed a copyright lawsuit against Warner Bros. Discovery and DC Comics.
The lawsuit was filed in federal court in New York by Joseph Shuster’s estate administrator, Mark Warren Perry.
The lawsuit claims that Warner Bros. Discovery does not have the rights to release the upcoming new Superman film in some countries.
Specifically, a court order has been requested to prevent the distribution of the film in Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia. According to the lawsuit, Joseph Shuster’s foreign copyrights to Superman were returned to his heirs several years ago.
According to legal documents, under the copyright laws of Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia, their rights automatically transfer to their heirs 25 years after the death of a creator.
Since Joseph Schuster died in 1992, the rights to Superman in those countries were returned to his heirs in 2017, while in Canada, these rights returned in 2021.
A spokesperson for Warner Bros. Discovery responded to the matter, saying that we fundamentally disagree with the basis of this lawsuit and will vigorously defend our rights.
It should be noted that the new Superman film is scheduled to be released on July 11, with David Corinth playing the lead role of Superman.
The film will star Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, and Maria Gabriela de Faria as the Engineer.
