Copyright lawsuits by Superman's creators (original) (raw)

In the early 1930s, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster developed the fictional comic book character of Superman. In 1938, they sold the character to Detective Comics, Inc. (the corporate precursor to DC Comics). After Superman became an unexpected success, the pair attempted to recover the rights to the character. This began a long chain of legal battles over ownership, royalties, and credit that would continue after their deaths.