A legal battle ends with the cancelation of long-held trademarks by Marvel and DC, opening the term "Super Hero" to public use.

A tribunal at the U.S. Trademark Office has canceled Marvel and DC's joint trademark on the term "Super Hero," putting it in the public domain.

Attorney Adam Adler petitioned for cancelation of Marvel and DC Comics' trademarks, contending the "super hero" terms were generic. "What Marvel and DC were doing is really just the opposite and contrary to the values of their own heroes,

A U.S. Trademark Office tribunal has canceled a set of "Super Hero" trademarks jointly owned by comic giants Marvel and DC at the request of a London-based comic book artist, according to a Thursday order.

Over the weekend, Bleeding Cool reported that Marvel Comics and DC Comics had lost the rights to the trademark for "super hero."

For decades, Marvel and DC held exclusive rights to the term, allowing them to control its appearance in comic books, movies, merchandise, and marketing materials. This monopoly has been a key factor in shaping the superhero genre as we know it today,

According to Reuters, the US Trademark Office canceled several of Marvel and DC Comics’ set of “Super Hero” trademarks in an order on September 26 at the request of Superbabies comic book artist R.J.

Since the late 1960s, two comic book publishers have had an edge on using the term “Super Hero” – but not anymore. Here’s why things have changed.

Marvel and DC came after the publisher of a comic series called Superbabies, alleging trademark violation. But these babies fought back.