Heroes For Hire No More: Rethinking The Presumption That Comic Books Qualify As A Work-Made-For-Hire Under The Copyright Act Of 1978.

This article explores the copyright ownership battles surrounding comic book characters, specifically focusing on the termination provision in the 1976 Copyright Act. It discusses whether comic book creators should be considered employees or if their work should be classified as a work made for hire (WFH). The article argues that most comic books today should not be considered WFH, and that the categorization of comic books as collective works or compilations is inaccurate. It also examines court cases and the implications of not considering comic books as WFH. The article concludes by calling for more clarity in copyright ownership for comic book creators. Extracted from the article