Court demands 'Superman expert'

The Californian court presiding over the ongoing Superman copyright dispute has called for the appointment of an expert to explain the complicated case.

Both parties in the ongoing Siegel/DC/Warner case were instructed to agree on an impartial expert who could understand the complexities on the long-running copyright dispute between DC Comics and the estates of Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.

In an announcement, the court said: "The court envisions that the court-appointed special master/expert will not only submit a report in advance of trial, be subject to being deposed prior to trial, and proffer testimony at trial on the issues in question, but will also, in preparing for such tasks, be afforded the authority to appoint experts and other specials to assist him or her in performing those duties."

Earlier this month, Warner Brothers and DC won a victory against the Siegel estate, with the court declaring that the estate was not owed profits from Warner’s work on the Superman franchise on top of what it already receives from DC.

The case of how Superman profits should be apportioned continues.

Siegel and Shuster invented Superman in 1932 and sold the rights to DC in 1938 for $130.

The parties have until July 31 to appoint an expert. The trial will resume on December 1.