While I share in the general disgust at the Movie and Music industries practices regarding intellectual property, Marvel can't be lumped together with them.
Despite the recent big budget movies and the interest that has brought back to caped crusaders and masked vigilantes, Marvel has always been a comic book company!
And comic books back in the day were a couple of guys working together, for story line, image, coloring, ink, etc...
more importantly, Spiderman isn't just an image or a song, he's a character, that has been built up over DECADES of comic books, exploring his idiosyncrasies, relationships, strengths and weaknesses!
Spiderman belongs to the public as much as he belongs to Marvel, but looking past that to the legalities, Stan Lee is synonymous with Marvel, as everybody and their brother can tell you!
Let's give Marvel the benefit of the doubt here, and see how this plays out before condemning them.
Just because you have an idea to improve, or are even part of the creation of the final product, doesn't give you ownership rights. Spiderman wouldn't have been Spidey if there weren't a printer, editor, distributor, etc.... Someone had to put all those elements together, and usually, someone who is organized enough to do so is also organized enough to create a business out of it.
If I create a business to create birthday cards, I don't care if one of my writer's works from home, on a bus, in a park, whatever makes them feel comfortable. But I am the one with the expenses of printing, distributorship, etc, and I am PAYING that writer for his work. And I am the one taking all the risk.
You better believe when all is said and done, the rights to the card belong to me.
With the world the way it is now, I will definitely have that in the contract.
If the fact the world wasn't as law suit happy 50 some odd years ago meant they didn't cover every eventuality with a contract, we shouldn't blame Marvel, or let someone else take advantage of it.
Remember, when Spiderman came out, these comics cost a penny! It was just a Comic Book!
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Marvel is not exactly the same as RIAA...
While I share in the general disgust at the Movie and Music industries practices regarding intellectual property, Marvel can't be lumped together with them.
Despite the recent big budget movies and the interest that has brought back to caped crusaders and masked vigilantes, Marvel has always been a comic book company!
And comic books back in the day were a couple of guys working together, for story line, image, coloring, ink, etc...
more importantly, Spiderman isn't just an image or a song, he's a character, that has been built up over DECADES of comic books, exploring his idiosyncrasies, relationships, strengths and weaknesses!
Spiderman belongs to the public as much as he belongs to Marvel, but looking past that to the legalities, Stan Lee is synonymous with Marvel, as everybody and their brother can tell you!
Let's give Marvel the benefit of the doubt here, and see how this plays out before condemning them.
Just because you have an idea to improve, or are even part of the creation of the final product, doesn't give you ownership rights. Spiderman wouldn't have been Spidey if there weren't a printer, editor, distributor, etc.... Someone had to put all those elements together, and usually, someone who is organized enough to do so is also organized enough to create a business out of it.
If I create a business to create birthday cards, I don't care if one of my writer's works from home, on a bus, in a park, whatever makes them feel comfortable. But I am the one with the expenses of printing, distributorship, etc, and I am PAYING that writer for his work. And I am the one taking all the risk.
You better believe when all is said and done, the rights to the card belong to me.
With the world the way it is now, I will definitely have that in the contract.
If the fact the world wasn't as law suit happy 50 some odd years ago meant they didn't cover every eventuality with a contract, we shouldn't blame Marvel, or let someone else take advantage of it.
Remember, when Spiderman came out, these comics cost a penny! It was just a Comic Book!