Editing Superhero (section)

=== Superhero names: public domain vs. trademark ===

Even when characters enter the [[Public domain in the United States|public domain]], their names are not always free for use. A notable example is the character [[Daredevil (Lev Gleason Publications)|Daredevil]], originally created by [[Jack Binder]] and [[Jack Cole (artist)|Jack Cole]] for [[Lev Gleason Publications]]. Although his classic version is in the public domain, Marvel holds the trademark for the name “Daredevil,” associated with its own [[Daredevil (Marvel Comics character)|character introduced in 1964]]. This prevents third parties from commercially using the name.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Young |first=Paul |date=2015-11-06 |title=15 Abandoned Comic Book Characters That Became Marvel & DC Icons |url=https://screenrant.com/classic-marvel-dc-comic-book-characters-origins/ |access-date=2025-04-25 |website=ScreenRant |language=en}}</ref> Under U.S. law at the time, publishers were required to renew their copyrights after 28 years.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Burlingame |first=Russ |date=2024-02-14 |title=Public Domain Superheroes Take the Screen in Miss Masque's Saturday Breakfast Cereal |url=https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/public-domain-superheroes-miss-masques-saturday-breakfast-cereal/ |access-date=2025-04-25 |website=ComicBook.com |language=en-US}}</ref>