The US Patent and Trademark Office has cancelled a trademark held for decades by the comic world giants, Marvel and DC.
In a David and Goliath battle, the cancellation came about after a small company called Superbabies Limited took on Marvel and DC. This was, reports Reuters, in retaliation for them attempting “to block” promotion of the Superbabies comics.
The two companies held four trademarks that have now been cancelled as they didn’t respond to the challenge by a July 24th, 2024 due date, says The Verge. The oldest of these was for the trademark “SUPER HERO” and that had been registered in 1967. The Verge adds: “The two companies still co-own a “SUPER HEROES” trademark, registered in 2018, as well as a “SUPER-VILLAIN” trademark that they secured in 1985.”
In what is sure to attract curious comic fans, one of the lawyers involved in the case has published a history of these super hero trademarks and how two rivals came together to defend them. It was published by Escapist magazine.
The law firm representing Superbabies creator, S.J. Richold, said in a statement that this is a “…transformative moment, as SUPER HERO now enters the public domain, free from corporate ownership. This outcome empowers creators and companies worldwide to harness a term that has for generations been synonymous with heroism and creativity.”
