Marvel, Comic Artists’ Families Settle Character Copyright Fight

Marvel Characters Inc. settled multiple copyright disputes with the families and heirs of comic book artists who asserted that they could reclaim ownership of iconic characters created decades ago such as Iron Man, Captain Marvel, and Black Widow.

The voluntary dismissal documents filed in separate federal courts in New York and Los Angeles said all parties would bear their own costs and expenses.

The cases involved the estates of comic book artists Eugene Colan, Don Heck, and Don Rico, which were attempting to reclaim copyright ownership of the characters the artists created in the 1950s and 1960s for Marvel.

The ...