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by **LOLtron** » Wed Jun 12, 2013 8:19 am

Appeals Court Raises Ghost Rider Ownership Lawsuit from the Dead

Gary Friedrich will have another chance to win co-ownership of the Ghost Rider franchise.

Source: Reuters

In 2012, Gary Friedrich's lawsuit to claim ownership of the Marvel character Ghost Rider, whom he created, ended badly, with a US District Court siding with Marvel and ordering Friedrich to pay Marvel $17,000 in royalties related to unlicensed merchandise sold by Friedrich at conventions. Hardcore fanboys, the ones who believe that creators should be screwed over at every turn in order to allow Marvel and DC to keep printing mediocre comics that pay little respect to superheroes, rejoiced at the news that Marvel had once again found a way to keep creators from profiting from their creations.

However, an appeals court has overturned the District Court's ruling, pointing out the ambiguity of Marvel's contract with Friedrich, which he signed in 1978, and noting that the contract did not explicitly reference the Ghost Rider creation, which Friedrich had allegedly created six years earlier. This will allow Friedrich's case to go back to court, or force Marvel/Disney to settle with Friedrich.

While the news seems largely optimistic, it does have a catch. Should Friedrich somehow win joint ownership of Ghost Rider, he will be forever known as the man who created the comic that was adapted for two Nicholas Cage movies, one of which features the actor pissing CGI flames. If Friedrich is willing to shoulder that burden for the rest of his life, then we support his endeavor 100%.

Written or Contributed by ThanosCopter

READ THIS ARTICLE ON THE FRONT PAGE, HUMANS!

by **Cat-Scratch** » Wed Jun 12, 2013 9:51 am

Mouse will kill him.

After all, those GR flicks are box office monsters.

by **achilles** » Wed Jun 12, 2013 10:01 am

Hey, if he's evil enough, he'll cop to anything for money. I know I would.

by **Psivage** » Wed Jun 12, 2013 10:10 am

Give me enough money and hand job cat-scratch.

by **Cat-Scratch** » Wed Jun 12, 2013 10:18 am

Psivage wrote:Give me enough money and hand job cat-scratch.

by **Psivage** » Wed Jun 12, 2013 10:23 am

Cat-Scratch wrote:

Yeah you read correctly.

by **Cat-Scratch** » Wed Jun 12, 2013 10:28 am

Psivage wrote:
Yeah you read correctly.

At least you were thinking of me... but... uhh...

by **achilles** » Wed Jun 12, 2013 1:18 pm

You know, when I said "anything", I didn't quite mean that literally... :shock:

by **IvCNuB4** » Fri Jun 28, 2013 10:55 am

CBR has an update. Click here for the full story

Marvel will defend its ownership of Ghost Rider before a jury after a federal judge on Thursday set a Nov. 4 trial for writer Gary Friedrich’s lawsuit against the publisher.

U.S. District Judge Katherine Forrest made the order a little more than two weeks after the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals overturned her 2011 decision rejecting Friedrich’s claims that the copyright to the Spirit of Vengeance reverted to him a decade earlier. According to Deadline, Marvel’s lawyers indicated Thursday in a conference meeting that they won’t challenge the appeals court ruling, and will file a motion for a jury trial.