Posted on December 12, 2025 by Neil Cole
A New York judge suggested Thursday that DC Comics and Warner Bros. Discovery appear well-positioned to retain long-standing control over Superman's international copyrights, offering pointed comments during a hearing that underscored the strength of the companies' contractual claims.
The case centers on a challenge brought by the nephew of Superman co-creator, Joseph Shuster. The Shuster heir argues that the character's copyrights in Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia should revert to the family under those countries' laws. Justice Robert Reed, however, appeared skeptical, repeatedly noting that Shuster's sister signed away those rights in a 1992 agreement that granted DC Comics permanent ownership in exchange for lifetime financial support.
Justice Reed acknowledged that the decision might not be viewed kindly in hindsight, but he stressed that the contract's language was unambiguous. He also pointed to a 2013 Ninth Circuit ruling that upheld the same agreement in the United States, finding that the Shuster estate had no grounds to reclaim domestic rights.
Attorneys for DC Comics urged the court to dismiss the case, arguing that the family has already pursuedm - and lost - multiple challenges over the same agreement. Counsel for the Shuster estate countered that international copyright laws raise separate issues that have not yet been addressed in court.
Thursday's hearing follows an earlier decision by a federal judge in Manhattan, who declined to intervene on the family's behalf or halt the overseas release of Warner Bros.' upcoming Superman film.
The matter, Peary v. DC Comics Inc., No. 155397/2025, remains pending in New York County Supreme Court.
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English (US) · 