Superman Creator's Heirs Win Rights to Early Stories; Am Law Litigation Daily, 8/14/09

Ross Todd via Am Law Litigation Daily; Superman Creator's Heirs Win Rights to Early Stories:

"A federal district court judge in Riverside, Calif., ruled Wednesday that the heirs of Superman cocreator Jerry Siegel are co-owners of copyrights to the first two weeks of Superman daily newspaper strips and other early Superman material. The ruling is the latest in an ongoing dispute between the heirs and DC Comics and Warner Brothers.

Judge Stephen Larson's decision allows the Siegels to recapture stories of Superman's origins on planet Krypton, his launch as a baby into space, and his crash-landing on Earth. Warner Brothers and DC still own copyrights to other elements of the Superman character, including his ability to fly, some other superpowers, the term "kryptonite," and the villain Lex Luthor. Here's a copy of Larson's 92-page decision."

http://www.law.com/jsp/tal/digestTAL.jsp?id=1202433059625

Judge Denies MGA’s Request on Bratz Dolls, New York Times, 1/1/09

Via New York Times: Judge Denies MGA’s Request on Bratz Dolls:

"MGA Entertainment lost a bid to extend a freeze on a court-ordered ban on manufacturing and selling the Bratz dolls while it appeals a jury verdict that the toys infringed on copyrights held by Mattel...

Judge Larson ruled on Dec. 3 that MGA may no longer make most of the Bratz dolls that have contributed to a drop in Mattel’s Barbie sales since they were first brought on the market in 2001. A jury earlier found that a Mattel designer had come up with the Bratz name and characters and secretly had taken the idea to MGA."

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/01/business/01bizbriefs-JUDGEDENIESM_BRF.html?scp=2&sq=bratz&st=cse