Swing into the world of intellectual property and untangle the legal threads behind legendary wall-crawling comic book character, Spider-Man. From comic book origins to blockbuster films, hosts Michael Snyder and Joseph Gushue trace Spidey's journey through pop culture, the U.S. Patent Office, and the courtroom.

From Stan Lee and Steve Ditko's Amazing Fantasy #15 to Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland on the big screen, Michael and Joe explore how each era shaped Spider-Man's generational appeal—and his IP story.

Listeners' "spidey senses" will tingle at the tale of a toy web-shooter patent that reached the Supreme Court in Kimble v. Marvel Entertainment (2015), sparking lessons in royalty agreements and licensing strategies. The host take a deep look into other intellectual property aspects of the Spider-Man universe. 

💡 Lessons for Inventors & Licensors

• Structuring effective patent royalty agreements

• Distinguishing patents from "know-how"

• Strategies for royalty payments and long-term value

• Benefits of separating patent rights from non-patent rights in licensing deals

Whether you're a comic book fan, superhero film buff, or budding entrepreneur, you'll find plenty to stick to in this deep dive into Spider-Man's IP.

Key Moments:

(01:53 ) Spider-Man's Rich History in Pop Culture

• Origin and first appearance: Amazing Fantasy #15 (1962)

• Spider-Man Theme Song from Original Cartoon (YouTube)

(05:31 ) Spider-Man Movies and the Spider-Verse

• Spider-Man pointing meme 

(13:41 ) The Spider-Man Toy Patent

• Stephen E. Kimble's "Toy Web Shooting Glove" patent (US5072856A, 1990)

• Marvel's Web Blaster toy

(20:27 ) Patent Expiration and Royalty Agreements Timelines

(26:54 ) Drafting Patent License Agreements

(31:16 ) Peter Parker as an Inventor

(32:19 ) Final Thoughts on IP Law and Pop Culture

For full show notes and to explore more episodes, please visit www.vklaw.com/newsroom-podcasts.

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