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Stan Lee to be Paid Millions for Spidey

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the big-bucks-true-believers dept.

Soldrinero writes "After a tough legal battle that began in 2002 (mentioned in a previous Slashdot story), Stan Lee will finally get his due. A recent court decision says that Marvel owes Lee 10% of their profits for works based on his creations. Since three recent Marvel-based movies are in the all-time top 100 for box-office gross, this will be a sizable chunk of change."

5 of 387 comments (clear)

  1. A Victory by Staplerh · · Score: 5, Informative

    Good call from the court.

    He filed the lawsuit in November 2002, pointing out a clause in his contract that entitled him to 10 percent of TV, movie and merchandising deals, an amount he thought was significantly higher than the $1 million-per-year salary he currently receives. Marvel tried to find a loophole in the wording.

    Seems like a no-brainer. It was in the contract, Marvel tried to finangle their way out of it, and they failed. Good show, I must say. Good for him for staking out the claim, and calling Marvel on their unethical business practices.

    So, bottom line, everything aside: it was in his contract, so I don't see how Marvel can appeal. They keep their merchandising revenue anyways.

    --
    "There's no success like failure, and failure's no success at all."
    - Bob Dylan
  2. Warning: Hollywood Contracts by Alien54 · · Score: 3, Informative
    are infamous for giving people percentages of the Net Profit, not the Gross Profit. Hollywood book-keeping is infamous for frittering away money in all kinds of obscure "expenses", so that there is never anything leftover from the Gross for the Gross Profit. In fact, if there is anything left over, it is usually by mistake, since it is the net profit that is taxed.

    So I hope that Stan Lee gets his cut from the gross take, and nothing else.

    --
    "It is a greater offense to steal men's labor, than their clothes"
  3. Re:But wait.... by spif · · Score: 3, Informative

    Stan Lee had a contract with Marvel entitling him to a percentage of profits. So it's not really an intellectual property issue, it's basic contract law.

    Thank you, come again.

    --
    fnord.
  4. Re:Movies never show a profit! by stratjakt · · Score: 3, Informative

    Ya know what they say, debt is an asset.

    Final judgement.. -1 zillion bucks!

    Thing is, he sued Marvel, he's entitled to 10% of whatever Marvel charged the movie folks for the rights to make spiderman, not 10% of what the movie made.

    Paramount (or whoever) aren't even defendants in this suit, IIRC.

    --
    I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
  5. Re:Contracts are part of the Laws too by FurryFeet · · Score: 4, Informative

    The contract was with Marvel. Stan Lee can't claim 10 percent of the movies' profits, what the court says is that he's entitled to 10 percent of whatever Marvel collected.
    It should be a nice chunk of cash, but not as much as people around here think.