structural:reformatting
relevant cases

Currently, the following trademarks are registered jointly to MARVEL CHARACTERS, INC. and DC COMICS:

73222079 SUPER HEROES for publications

72243225 SUPER HERO for costumes

77732560 SUPER HEROES for production and distribution of a series of animated motion picture

78356610 SUPER HEROES for t-shirts

73011796 SUPER HEROES for toy figures

As mentioned, the two companies also own a variety of other super hero related marks. For instance, DC owns “Legion of Super-Heroes" and " DC Super Hero Girls " and Marvel owns “Marvel Super Hero Island" and "Marvel Super Hero Adventures."

DC and Marvel have garnered a reputation for zealously protecting their super hero marks. As noted above, one of these instances included a man by the name of Graham Jules, who sought to publish a book entitled “Business Zero to Superhero.” In 2014, he received a cease and desist from DC and Marvel who claimed that his use of the term superhero would cause confusion and dilute their brands. He was offered a few thousand dollars in settlement to change the name of his book, but he did not concede. A few days prior to the scheduled hearing at the Intellectual Property Office in London, the companies backed down.

A similar scenario occurred when comic book creator Ray Felix attempted to register his comic book series "A World Without Superheroes" with the USPTO. Felix is one of many who argue that the term "super hero" has become generic (see discussion below). Felix's mark is currently abandoned, but he has stated that he intends to fight against DC and Marvel for use of the term.