The Dead Hand of Copyright

Zorro first appeared in 1919. Naturally, Sony claims it owns him. (Is this a Sony company?) A little filmmaking outfit called Sobini begs to differ and is asking a judge to endorse its view.

I wonder who owns the rights to Little Red Riding Hood?

UPDATE:  Per PACER, the case was settled on undisclosed terms in 2007, though not before generating the opinion in Sobini Films v. Tri-Star Pictures Inc., 61 U.S.P.Q.2d (BNA) 1930, 1934 (C.D. Cal. 2001) (finding that producers cannot bring DJ Act action based solely on film treatment of “Zorro” character where no steps have yet been taken to create script or hire actors that would create even a potentially infringing product), cited here.

But figure this out:

16 February 2012

Zorro Reborn lands Gael Garcia Bernal in futuristic reboot of the classic hero in black 20th Century Fox has cast Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal as a vengeance-seeking vigilante in the film which is apparently not set in Mexico, or California. Variety reports that Glenn Gers scripted the project alongside Lee Shipman and Brian McGreevy, and they’re still looking for a helmer. Zorro Reborn is being produced by Sobini Films’ David Huggins as well as Mark Amin and Cami Winikoff Antonio Banderas played the more recent masked hero in The Mask of Zorro, and the it’s sequel The Legend of Zorro, helmed by Martin Campbell. That however, is Sony, who are currently working on their own origin story about Zorro, based on the 2005 Isabel Allende Novel “Zorro.” »

Ron Coleman