Estate of Joseph Shuster v. Warner Bros.

Superman creator’s family claims international copyright rights — U.S. court says “Not our job.”

Summary :

The family of Joe Shuster, who helped create Superman, said they now own Superman’s rights in countries like the UK and Canada because of copyright rules in those countries. They sued Warner Bros. to stop using Superman and to get paid. But the U.S. court said, “We can’t decide cases based only on other countries' laws,” and dismissed it.

Facts :

⦁ Joe Shuster helped create Superman in 1938.

⦁ He died in 1992.

⦁ In the UK and Canada, copyright returns to the family 25 years after death.

⦁ The family says rights came back to them in 2017 (UK) and 2021 (Canada).

⦁ They sued Warner Bros. in U.S. federal court in January 2025.

Findings :

⦁ The judge said the U.S. court cannot decide this case because it’s based on foreign (UK, Canada) laws.

⦁ The court dismissed the case on April 25, 2025.

Suggestions :

⦁ File cases in countries where you claim the rights have returned.

⦁ Know that U.S. courts won’t handle cases based only on foreign copyright law.

Judgment :

⦁ The court dismissed the case due to “lack of jurisdiction.”

⦁ The family has filed the case again in New York State court (not federal court).