Marvel and DC’s long-standing joint ownership of several “Super Hero” trademarks has mostly ended. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) recently canceled some of their trademarks following a challenge by Superbabies Limited, a small company producing comics about superhero babies. The creator of Superbabies, S.J. Richold, initiated the challenge after DC attempted to block his promotion of “The Super Babies.”
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25649745/2089852195.jpg)
Marvel and DC did not respond by the July 24, 2024 deadline, leading to the cancellation of four trademarks, including one for “SUPER HERO” registered in 1967. Despite this, the two companies still jointly own trademarks for “SUPER HEROES” (registered in 2018) and “SUPER-VILLAIN” (registered in 1985).
One of the lawyers involved in the case, Adam Adler, wrote a two-part series for Escapist Magazine, detailing the history of Marvel and DC’s joint trademark ownership and how they’ve defended it over the years. His articles also link to additional resources for further exploration.
