The long-term managerial ownership of Superman’s rights by Warner Bros appeared to be deliberate, complex legally and firmly ingrained in decades-old contracts. Warner Bros has used a number of contractual ploys, legal tactics, along with legal safeguards to keep the Man of Steel under control, much like Lex Luthor’s calculated and deliberate plans to dominate Metropolis.
The clear and unchangeable recognition by Siegel and Shuster that Warner owns the exclusive rights regarding Superman is a pillar of Warner Bros’ legal strategy. The 1975 Agreement’s Clause 2 says:
“You acknowledge that Warner Communications Inc. (‘Warner’), both immediately before and immediately after the signing of this agreement, is the sole and exclusive owner of all right, title and interest in and to the ‘Superman’ concept, idea, continuity, pictorial representation, formula, characters, cartoons and comic strips, title, logo, copyrights and trademarks, including any and all renewals and extensions of any such rights, in the United States and throughout the world.”
Through obtaining the aforementioned provision, Warner Bros made sure that no copyright reversion or challenge could be successful under US law, therefore barring any subsequent claims from Siegel and Shuster or their heirs after them. This clause served as the basis for other court decisions, such as the 2013 Siegel & Shuster v. Warner Bros. decision by the 9th Circuit, which upheld Warner Bros’ irrevocable ownership of all Superman copyrights.
