Ghost Rider creator flaming mad

Gary Friedrich, the creator of Ghost Rider, is suing Marvel, Sony Pictures, Take-Two and a number of other companies that he claims all conspired to “exploit, profit from and utilise” his copyrights to the popular comic book character.

According to Reuters and The Hollywood Reporter, Gary Friedrich, who created the Marvel comic book character Ghost Rider (a.k.a. Johnny Blaze) in 1968, filed a 61-page lawsuit on April 4 against Marvel Enterprises, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Sony’s Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, producers Relativity Media, Crystal Sky Pictures, Michael De Luca Prods., Hasbro Inc. and video game publisher Take-Two Interactive.

Friedrich alleges that the companies engaged in a “joint venture and conspiracy to exploit, profit from and utilise” his copyrights to the Ghost Rider character. The suit filed in federal court in Illinois claims 21 violations based on the production and marketing of the recent Ghost Rider movie (estimated to have grossed nearly $215 million) starring Nicolas Cage and Eva Mendes. Friedrich said that the copyrights used in the film, toys made by Hasbro and videogame firm Take-Two have “improperly created merchandise based on the characters.”

Source: GameDaily.BIZ

Related Links: Ghost Rider – Official movie, Marvel