Category talk:PD Cartoon - Superman

character copyright

Dear User:Kaldari, and other esteemed editors,

The most recent edit has added to this page:

Note that DC Comics retains a valid character copyright on Superman until 2033. Do not upload any images or movies that depict Superman even if they are in a work that is otherwise public domain. For previous discussions, see [1][2]

That links to COM:CHAR for "character copyright". However, COM:CHAR advises the opposite (my understanding is it was edited to say the current verbiage early last month):

Sometimes individual works featuring copyrighted characters (such as Mickey Mouse or Superman) enter the public domain. Character copyright protection covers details of the character that are not depicted in the public domain works, but only appear in later works still under copyright. This applies to making new content using the characters. For instance in a case involving the fictional character Sherlock Holmes and the film, Enola Holmes, it was argued that mannerisms, costuming, and other habits depicted in later works under active copyright cannot be used in the new fictional work. In another example a James Bond like character was used by Am. Honda Motor Co in a commercial, and claimed "fair use" of the character. In Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc. v. Am. Honda Motor Co. the ruling was that the Am. Honda Motor Co. character used elements of the character James Bond from the films that were still under active copyright.

So, it seems like there is no need to have the warning on this page, or COM:CHAR is now wrong. I must leave the issue in your more capable hands, as I am too noob to know which is right (although my non-lawyer opinion is that com:char is right on the law). Speaking of which, apologies if my formatting is bad.

Dingolover6969 (talk) 11:43, 9 May 2022 (UTC)

@Dingolover6969: The recently changed wording at COM:CHAR was incorrect. Thanks for bringing that to my attention. See Commons talk:Derivative works#Character copyright status for further discussion. Kaldari (talk) 04:28, 26 May 2022 (UTC)

Thanks! Dingolover6969 (talk) 16:47, 26 May 2022 (UTC)

@Dingolover6969, @Kaldari: Character copyright is also under discussion at User talk:Jeff G.#Re: File copyright status.   — 🇺🇦Jeff G. ツ _{please ping or talk to me}🇺🇦 09:07, 10 November 2022 (UTC)