And it could mean deep shit for DC/WB, as the Judge decides to restrict the company certain rights.

In an ongoing Federal court battle over Superman, Judge Stephen Larson ruled Wednesday that the family of the superhero’s co-creator, Jerry Siegel, has “successfully recaptured” rights to additional works, including the first two weeks of the daily Superman newspaper comic-strips, as well as portions of early Action Comics and Superman comic-books.

The ruling is based on the court’s finding that these were not “works-made-for-hire” under the Copyright Act.

This means the Siegels — repped by Marc Toberoff of Toberoff & Associates — now control depictions of Superman’s origins from the planet Krypton, his parents Jor-El and Lora, Superman as the infant Kal-El, the launching of the infant Superman into space by his parents as Krypton explodes and his landing on Earth in a fiery crash.

However, while the Siegels still own the origin rights, the court affirmed that DC Comics still owns the rights to Lex Luthor, Kryptonite, and flying.  Additionally, the court also ruled that the family owned the rights to Lois Lane, The Daily Planet, Superman’s alter ego Clark Kent and the love triangle.

However, the article says the real purpose of the suit is to secure how much money DC and Warner Bros., owe the Siegels after the rights reverted back to them in 1999.

To say the least, I’m pretty happy that the Siegels are getting something back but it’ll be interesting to see how this affects the comics and other media branches of the character.

Earlier today, Heidi informed us of the Comics Interweb on a recent ruling in the Superman case. It’s a ton of legalize in the release statement but essentially, a court ruled back in 1999 that the Siegel family had a legal right to royalties from the Superman property, but recently the family pushed to get some of those royalties for the “Smallville” property, since it is Superman-related.  Excuse the Sportscenter reference, this may be the wrong crowd, but DENIED. From the ruling:

Accordingly, the Court finds that the non-exclusive rights conveyed by DC Comics to Warner Bros. in the Smallville television agreement was not for below fair market value and, therefore, finds for the remaining defendendants on this point as well.

Conclusion: The Court decides this case, as it must, not on the evidence that could have been submitted or even the evidence that should have been submitted, but rather on the evidence that was in fact admitted at trial.  Based on the preponderence of that evidence, the Court is compelled to reach the conclusions set forth above and accordingly finds in favor of the defendants [DC Comics] on the issues before the court.

Looks like they won’t be getting anything from the eight seasons of best selling DVDs of Tom Welling running around in a red jacket and blue Levis.  Its a shame, but at least they are getting something from DC, it only took 60 years.