The world of American comics risks experiencing a huge upheaval. Indeed, we learn today that the giants of the industry, DC et Marvelhave just lost this immense privilege over the competition.
DC / Marvel: the end of an era
If American comics are not limited to superhero stories alone, notably thanks to independent publishers like Image Comics, Dark Horse, Top Shelf or Avatar Press, the superheroic genre remains the king genre. The two main stables are obviously the well-known DC Comics and Marvel, owned respectively by Warner Bros. Discovery and Marvel Entertainment. The superheroes born in these comics occupy such a prominent place in our collective imaginations that the mere mention of the word superhero immediately makes us think of these two legendary publishing houses.
What we know less, however, is that the word “Superhero” is a trademark jointly registered by DC Comics and Marvel in 1977. The trademark was approved by the United States Patent and Trademark Office in 1979. This trademark registration has long allowed DC Comics and Marvel to dominate the American market. How come Garth Ennis was able to use the term in the comics? The Boys ? Because the publisher Wildstorm is a property of DC Comics. The same is true with the use of the word in Top 10 by Alan Moore, published by the America’s Best Comics (ABC) label, which also belongs to DC Comics.
The Reichman Jorgensen Lehman & Feldberg (RJLF) firm has just announced that the term is officially no longer a property of DC Comics and Marvel. The request was accepted by the court because the publishers did not respond to requests from the courts. Is it careless or are the two editors aware of an injustice? It is difficult to answer, but it is certainly a cause for celebration for the competition between the two publishers. One of the lawyers also said: “Achieving this result is not only a win for our client, but a win for creativity and innovation. By establishing SUPERHEROES’ place in the public domain, we protect it as a symbol of heroism available to all storytellers.“
Besides, fans of DC Comics and Marvel can rest assured. The loss of this immense privilege will have absolutely no impact on the economy of the two giants. comics which do not risk losing their historical status. Did this article interest you? So don’t hesitate to discover this impressive Joker tattoo.
