Warner Bros fends off Superman copyright lawsuit ahead of new movie
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Warner’s new Superman movie, starring American actor David Corenswet, is scheduled to be released in July.
PHOTO: WBEI
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NEW YORK – Warner Bros Discovery convinced an American judge to dismiss a lawsuit over rights to the iconic character Superman, lifting a legal headache before the entertainment company releases its new Superman movie later in 2025.
United States District Judge Jesse Furman said in New York on April 24 that his court lacked jurisdiction over the copyright claims brought by the estate of Superman’s co-creator, late illustrator Joseph Shuster.
The lawsuit against Warner and its DC Comics subsidiary, part of a long-running legal battle over the rights to Superman, had sought damages for the superhero’s unauthorised use in Britain, Canada, Australia and other countries.
A Warner spokesperson said the company was pleased with the decision. “As we have consistently maintained, DC controls all rights to Superman.”
The estate’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The estate refiled its lawsuit in New York state court on April 25.
Shuster, who died in 1992 at age 78, created Superman with late writer Jerome Siegel and licensed the character to DC’s predecessor Detective Comics.
Shuster’s estate’s lawsuit, filed in January, said the rights to Superman reverted to the estate under British law in 2017, 25 years after his death.
The estate accused Warner of failing to pay royalties to use Superman in countries that follow British law on copyright reversion, which also include India, Israel and Ireland.
Judge Furman agreed with Warner on April 24 that the case should be dismissed because it was “brought explicitly under the laws of foreign countries, not the laws of the United States”.
Warner’s new Superman movie, directed by American film-maker James Gunn and starring actor David Corenswet, is scheduled to be released in July. REUTERS
