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Intellectual Property Law

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Cleveland State Law Review

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2021

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Full-Text Articles in Law

America's Broken Copyright Law: How Marvel And Sony Sparked Public Debate Surrounding The United States' "Broken" Copyright Law And How Congress Can Prevent A Copyright Small Claims Court From Making It Worse, Izaak Horstemeier-Zrnich Jun 2021

America's Broken Copyright Law: How Marvel And Sony Sparked Public Debate Surrounding The United States' "Broken" Copyright Law And How Congress Can Prevent A Copyright Small Claims Court From Making It Worse, Izaak Horstemeier-Zrnich

Cleveland State Law Review

Following failed discussions between Marvel and Sony regarding the use of Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, comic fans were left curious as to how Spider-Man could remain outside of the public domain after decades of the character’s existence. The comic community came to realize that Marvel was restricted in the use of its own character because of the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998 and the Supreme Court’s decision in Eldred v. Ashcroft. This realization sparked an online conversation regarding the United States’ lengthy copyright terms, and what many refer to as a “broken” copyright system. …