SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) -- The Batmobile, the indispensable crime fighting vehicle driven by comic book hero Batman, has enough distinct character traits to qualify for copyright protection, a U.S. appeals court has ruled.
The 9th U.S. Circuit of Appeals on Wednesday affirmed a ruling against a manufacturer of replica Batmobiles.
"As Batman so sagely told Robin, 'In our well-ordered society, protection of private property is essential,'" 9th Circuit Judge Sandra Ikuta wrote for a unanimous three judge panel.
Larry Zerner, an attorney for defendant Mark Towle who sells replica Batmobiles for approximately $90,000, said he was disappointed in the ruling. The law specifically states that automobile designs are not subject to copyright, he said.