DC Releases a Statement on Fables - It is 'Not in the Public Domain'; CBR, September 15, 2023

 BRIAN CRONIN, CBR; DC Releases a Statement on Fables - It is 'Not in the Public Domain'

"Suffice it to say, though, that anyone thinking of taking Willingham up on his "released" copyright will face a legal challenge from DC."

James Gunn Elaborates On What Might Happen When Superman Goes To Public Domain; ComicBook.com, January 31, 2023

KOFI OUTLAW, ComiCBOOK.com; James Gunn Elaborates On What Might Happen When Superman Goes To Public Domain

"For instance: Superman is set to enter the public domain in the 2030s, according to US law, which currently states that works introduced before 1978 enter the public domain 95 years after first publication. That timetable is one that will see Disney having to challenge Public domain rights to Mickey Mouse in coming years, while DC and Warner Bros. will see their core Trinity cross that barrier. Superman will be up in 2034; Batman in 2035, and Wonder Woman in 2037... 

QUESTION: "This is kind of a long-term question, but I mean, Superman is going to be entering the public domain in the decade from now. And you have a lot of classic characters that are going to be coming up with that issue. How is that ultimately impacting the way that you are defining who these characters are at this moment?"

JAMES GUNN: "Well, I mean, number one, it's a very complicated issue. It's not cut and dry. There's a lot of technical stuff around what pieces actually enter the public domain, which you may or may not know about. So there's that. But there's also that's one of the reasons why we have Superman and that's why we're bringing the Authority into mainstream. I mean, who would've thought 11 years ago the two most popular rides in the world are Guardians of the Galaxy ride. Two most popular rides in the world are based on a comic that f*cking 20,000 people knew. And so being able to try to create these other properties, use our diamonds, our Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, to prop up our Booster Golds or Green Lanterns or Plastic Mans or whatever is important."

At this point, it's hard to say which way the wind will blow on this. It definitely seems like the next big battleground in creative entertainment – when we get there."