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With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility: Gary Friedrich's Battle With Marvel For Artist Rights, Alexander L. Simon

Loyola of Los Angeles Entertainment Law Review

Recently, in Gary Friedrich Enterprises v. Marvel Characters, Inc., Gary Friedrich (“Friedrich”) sued Marvel Characters, Inc. (“Marvel”) for infringement on his copyright of the “Ghost Rider” comic book character. The District Court granted summary judgment in favor of Marvel stating that Friedrich had assigned any rights he had to Ghost Rider to Marvel in a work-for-hire agreement six years after the initial publication. Friedrich appealed this action in the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. However, the Second Circuit remanded the case to the District Court for issues of fact, including the ambiguous terms of the work for-hire agreement, renewal rights …