A federal court has dimissed
Stan Lee Media Inc.'s case to reclaim the rights to
Conan the Barbarian. The company held the rights before it went bankrupt in early 2001. SLMI is not connected to Stan Lee and is in fact suing the Generalissimo. The company has been fighting since it emerged from bankruptcy in 2006 to regain some money and property rights. It has waged numerous court cases for improper transfer of intellectual property rights.
In the
Conana suit filed in August as the movie hit theaters, the company stated that when
Conan Sales Co. bought back the rights in 2002 shareholders weren't properly notified and
Stan Lee Media's interest weren't represented. They also claim that Stan Lee's attorney committed fraud and failed to report a conflict of interest.
It was reported by
Hollywood Esq. that U.S. District Judge Stephen Wilson wasn't buying it. Judge Wilson threw the case out.
Stan Lee Media is trying to sue Stan Lee and others for transferring rights from
Stan Lee Media to
Marvel improperly. The case was tried in 2009 and dismissed. The company is gearing up for a big case in March where they will try to get the rights for
Spider-Man, the
Fantastic Four,
The Avengers, and other well known
Marvel properties.