Disney is fighting back in the latest court battle over the ownership of Spider-Man brought by the litigious Stan Lee Media (which has no connection to Stan Lee, see "Stan Lee Media Suing Over Spider-Man").  In its latest filing, Disney made several arguments in urging the judge to "end once and for all SLMI’s vexatious and repeatedly-rejected claims of ownership over the Marvel Characters."

Disney argues that "SLMI is actually a dissolved company whose sole activity appears to be litigating--and repeatedly losing--claims that it owns the copyrights to characters that Marvel has owned and openly exploited for decades, including Spider-Man."

Disney also points out that "four federal courts have already held that SLMI "is precluded from re-litigating the issue of its ownership of copyrights based on the 1998 Agreement."

And Disney also argued that the case, which started when Stan Lee Media granted a license to a Pennsylvania theater that was using material from Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark and was sued by Disney, raised an argument that was beyond the statute of limitations. 

A favorable ruling for Disney may end this case, but Stan Lee Media seems to have an unlimited appetite for litigation in its search for a payday.