BATMAN, SUPERMAN, And More DC Copyrights End Soon; Will Knock-Offs Include Zack Snyder’s "Super Creepy" Ideas?

BATMAN, SUPERMAN, And More DC Copyrights End Soon; Will Knock-Offs Include Zack Snyder’s "Super Creepy" Ideas?

A new report reveals that Warner Bros. will lose its copyright protection over characters like Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman a decade from now, but what exactly does that mean for DC moving forward?

By JoshWilding - Jan 17, 2024 04:01 PM EST
Filed Under: Justice League
Source: Variety

In recent years, we’ve seen the copyrights for iconic Disney characters like Winnie the Pooh and Mickey Mouse precursor, Steamboat Willie, enter the public domain. Thus far, that’s only really led to low-budget horror projects with mainstream studios all too aware how unwise it would be to clash with the House of Mouse over copyright law.

Variety reports that DC Comics characters Superman and Lois Lane will enter the public domain in 2034. Batman will follow in 2035, The Joker in 2036, and then Wonder Woman in 2037. The clock is ticking.

So, what does that hat mean for these iconic heroes and villains?

The trade explains that we could see a flood of unauthorised Batman comics, for example, arrive in stores. Movie producers will also be able to put their own spin on these heroes, similar to how we see endless iterations of Dracula and Robin Hood on screen. Initially, however, they’ll only be able to make use of certain characteristics (when Superman debuted, he could only leap tall buildings in a single bound and was unable to fly).

"Those characteristics are going to fall into the public domain one by one," explains Amanda Schreyer, a media and entertainment lawyer at Morse. Steven Beer, an IP lawyer at Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith, adds: "The public’s perception is the contemporary Superman. It’s distinctive. That gives them a lot of protection."

Warner Bros. has some protection and recent copyrights mean they’ll be able to block many attempted knock-offs. Alas, as Jennifer Jenkins, director of Duke’s Center for the Study of the Public Domain reveals, "That only prevents uses that are likely to cause consumer confusion about source or sponsorship."

This means rival creators will simply need to make it clear their versions are not coming from DC.

"You could still create a Superman horror movie or Batman horror movie," says Jonathan Steinsapir, an IP attorney at KHIKS. "You just need to be careful about how you advertise it and how you use images of Superman in a branding sense…Zack Snyder could reshoot it and make his own new iteration of it. You just need to be careful. For example, he definitely couldn’t call it ‘Justice League.’"

The trade elaborates on that, revealing Zack Snyder’s original DCEU pitch to Warner Bros. involved Bruce Wayne impregnating Lois Lane, only for Superman to raise the Caped Crusader’s son after his death. Wonder Woman, meanwhile, was set to brandish the decapitated heads of her enemies. An insider explains his ideas were rejected by the studio for being, and we quote, "super creepy."

As for what this means for the new DCU, the trade says, "At a press event in 2023, CEO James Gunn noted that the next Superman film will introduce characters from ‘The Authority,’ a comic series that launched in 1999, in part because the Superman copyright is about to expire."

Watch this space!

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SonOfAGif
SonOfAGif - 1/17/2024, 4:46 PM
Or the same weirdos who are foaming at the mouth for a chance to make a Mickey Mouse and Winnie the Pooh horror film will make a Wonder Woman horror film because it's "Important for the horror genre".
JonC
JonC - 1/18/2024, 1:16 PM
@SonOfAGif - but the really fun part is you can make a winnie the poor wonder woman team up horror movie... that's the kind of fun these license issues can bring out.
CoHost
CoHost - 1/17/2024, 4:47 PM
Don't they already make fan films that don't get struck by the attorneys?
Origame
Origame - 1/17/2024, 4:50 PM
@CoHost - because they're zero budget movies that aren't getting money off of them. In fact, a lot of times the people making fan films ask for permission and all dc really cares about is that it's non profit and makes it clear it's not an official product.
Origame
Origame - 1/17/2024, 4:48 PM
...in 10 years.
AmazingFILMporg
AmazingFILMporg - 1/17/2024, 4:51 PM
@Origame -


10 years is not a long time. By that time Gunn's universe would've imploded and WB would be on its 15th Batman reboot😳
Origame
Origame - 1/17/2024, 5:09 PM
@AmazingFILMporg - we will literally have the rest of the batman trilogy and bare minimum 2 brave and bold movies by that time. And again, that's just bare minimum. Not including the spin offs for the batman like the penguin show which is also using batman, any guest spots he's gonna be in with the dcu, and of course the eventual dcu justice league movie. Oh, and the most likely possibility the dcu implodes and they reboot batman in that time. That's plenty of time for them to do a lot of batman and superman before the rights expire. Especially since now the precedent is there are 2 different versions of movie batman out there.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 1/18/2024, 4:45 AM
@Origame - They don't lose the rights. They can still do as many Batman and Superman films as they want, it's just that there will be other films from other studios flooding the market.
Origame
Origame - 1/18/2024, 5:48 AM
@ObserverIO - when I said rights I meant copyrights.
AmazingFILMporg
AmazingFILMporg - 1/17/2024, 4:50 PM
Good. Public domain is a good law and corporations have been delaying the inevitable for far too long.




I have been waiting to make my Batman and Robin gay love story for far too long. Imagine a call me by your name but with Batman and Robin😐....



Billion dollar film and loads of cum🤠
DocSpock
DocSpock - 1/17/2024, 6:09 PM
@AmazingFILMporg -

Thanks Porg. After all that crap I ate and drank for lunch, I needed a good barf.
Origame
Origame - 1/17/2024, 7:21 PM
@AmazingFILMporg - gay love story with a child, huh?

I'll let Chris hansen know immediately
marvel72
marvel72 - 1/17/2024, 11:11 PM
@AmazingFILMporg -

Spidey91
Spidey91 - 1/17/2024, 4:52 PM
don't worry, I wouldn't trust the world to last that long
AmazingFILMporg
AmazingFILMporg - 1/17/2024, 4:56 PM
@Spidey91 -



Yes it will.



Every generation feels like they're gonna be the last generation. For better or worse this train ain't stopping and it will get worse but only for the little guy and middle class. If you're an elite like me you'll be fine. Maybe I'll hire you to clean my shoes💁....





Maybe🙃
Spidey91
Spidey91 - 1/17/2024, 4:57 PM
@AmazingFILMporg - erm.....thanks I guess?
AmazingFILMporg
AmazingFILMporg - 1/17/2024, 4:58 PM
@Spidey91 -



I'll protect you. My shoes need to be cleaned. You'll be essential in the future.



You're welcome.
SpiderParker
SpiderParker - 1/17/2024, 9:16 PM
@AmazingFILMporg - He will be essential but you are already obsolete.
AmazingFILMporg
AmazingFILMporg - 1/17/2024, 9:48 PM
@SpiderParker -

Lies👮
AmazingFILMporg
AmazingFILMporg - 1/17/2024, 4:53 PM
I'm gonna make a horror film with WB executives hunting down Batman, superman and Wonder woman. It will be a commentary on WBs hatred for the Trinity 😅
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 1/17/2024, 5:05 PM
If the DCU does well, those versions will be the contemporary versions stuck in the collective pop culture consciousness. Any other attempt will just be seen as a knock-off, even those inevitably used in commercials.

That said, I definitely wanna see a studio try to build a shared universe with public domain characters like Batman, Robin Hood, Dracula, Zorro and Captain Nemo fight the Wizard of Oz.
RolandD
RolandD - 1/17/2024, 5:06 PM
Steamboat Willie is not a Mickey Mouse precursor. That is Mickey Mouse and the cartoon. It’s just an earlier version of him.
RolandD
RolandD - 1/17/2024, 5:07 PM
@RolandD - @Waifuslayer
dracula
dracula - 1/17/2024, 5:07 PM
Really Snyder still couldnt do his plan even when they enter public domain

All that enters are stuff from the first year of stories, need to wait on a lot of other stuff

Superman wont be able to fly, wont have all his powers. Wont have access to any of his major villains until they enter public domain

Batman has a shot of movies, you get Robin, Catwoman and Joker in the first year

Everything else is long time away from being public domain
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 1/18/2024, 4:49 AM
@dracula - He could lose most of his powers at the beginning. Then he could make a different costume. Problem solved.
HulkisHoly
HulkisHoly - 1/17/2024, 5:20 PM
Cant WB/DC just renew the copyrights?
DavidMullich
DavidMullich - 1/17/2024, 10:46 PM
@HulkisHoly - The United States hasn't had copyright renewal since 1978. Copyright renewal was when copyright duration was much shorter than it is now.
HulkisHoly
HulkisHoly - 1/18/2024, 12:09 AM
@DavidMullich -

So once it’s public domain, it can never be owned by anyone ever again?

DC is screwed!
SpiderBrad
SpiderBrad - 1/17/2024, 5:27 PM
End soon..... in 10 years...
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 1/18/2024, 4:51 AM
@SpiderBrad - You must be young if you do't think that's soon.

The older you get the faster time goes.

To me, 10 years feels like a month used to feel, when I was younger.
SpiderBrad
SpiderBrad - 1/19/2024, 3:30 PM
@ObserverIO - I'm 39 - 10 years is a decade no matter how old you are. I agree the years feel like they go by faster as I age and watch my kids grow but they actually don't. 10 years is 10 years. That's not soon. It's in 10 years.
Baf
Baf - 1/17/2024, 5:35 PM
I would love to see an "original" Superman movie where he does not fly.
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 1/17/2024, 6:08 PM
@Baf - you and you alone
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