The Batmobile

THE Hollywood Reporter reports that the US Appeals Court ruled that the Batmobile is protected by copyright. A mechanic was sued for selling replicas of Batmobiles from the 1960s Batman TV show and 1989 Batman movie. The mechanic argued that the Batmobile is functional, is not a work of art, and therefore cannot be protected by copyright. The Court ruled that the Batmobile is protected since it has distinctive character traits and attributes: “In addition to its status as ‘a highly-interactive vehicle, equipped with high-tech gadgets and weaponry used to aid Batman in fighting crime,’ the Batmobile is almost always bat-like in appearance, with a bat-themed front end, bat wings extending from the top or back of the car, exaggerated fenders, a curved windshield, and bat emblems on the vehicle.”