Stan Lee Media sues Disney

Call it superpowered litigation: Stan Lee Media, an Internet-based company that filed for bankruptcy in 2000, sued Walt Disney Co. for billions Tuesday. Though comics writer Stan Lee co-founded the company that bears his name, he has not served as one of its officers since the dot-com bubble burst.

As the L.A. Times explains, Stan Lee Media claims the copyright to Lee’s Marvel characters — those who have starred in several movie blockbusters since 2009, when Disney bought the comic book imprint.

In 2009, Stan Lee Media shareholders sued Marvel and Lee for ownership of characters created by Lee. The suit was dismissed.

A spokesperson for Disney has released the following statement about this most recent suit: “This lawsuit is without merit, it arises out of the same core facts and legal claims that have been rejected by three federal district court judges.”

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