Perhaps the best way to dominate the business is to own the business. And something similar has been the case with the two giants of the comic book industry. Marvel and DC had the entire “superhero” genre literally in their clutch, as the term itself had been patented by both companies but not anymore.
Now, the other companies that had their hands dipped in the superhero business had to circumvent this by coining their own terms. We have had multiple “synonyms” for the super-powered vigilantes. We have had terms like “enhanced ones,” “hybrids,” and many more. As of now, the most prevalent one has been the “supes” from the boys universe. Now that the word is free for all, perhaps we might find more of these entities in popular fiction being called out as superheroes. Truly a liberation for the genre.
This is not the only instance of such an unfair monopoly by these companies. Marvel had the word “zombie” copied. No wonder we had “infected,” “undead,” “creepers,” “walking dead,” or “blighted ones.” And just like that, the court made it clear, stating “Marvel and DC did not invent the concept or genre of superheroes,” and the patent is now cancelled.
As of now. We never know what new developments may emerge from this. The characters like “spawn” and “hellboy” can now enjoy unrestricted superhero privilege. Perhaps now their stories will get their well-deserved traction as superhero movies instead of horror. We can see smaller publishers rise up, given that they won’t be put down by the giants.