Stan Lee Entertainment v. Lee CA2/5

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

Background

In 1998, Stan Lee co-founded SLE and entered into the 1998 Agreement, under which he agreed to assign SLE extensive rights over existing and future intellectual property, and serve as chairman, publisher, and chief creative officer of SLE for the duration of his lifetime. In exchange, Stan Lee was to receive an annual salary of $250,000, plus bonuses and benefits.

3 Under the 1998 Agreement, Stan Lee agreed to “assign, convey and grant to [SLE] forever, all right, title and interest I may have or control, now or in the future, in the following: Any and all ideas, names, titles, characters, symbols, logos, designs, likenesses, visual representation, artwork, stories, plots, scripts, episodes, literary property, and the conceptual universe related thereto, including my name and likeness . . . which will or have been in whole or in part disclosed in writing to, published, merchandised, advertised, and/or licensed by [SLE], its affiliates and successors in interests and licensees (which by agreement inures to [SLE’s] benefit) or any of them and any copyrights, trademarks, statutory rights, common law, goodwill, moral rights and any other…