A Dutch court has ruled that the heirs of Tintin author, Hergé, do not own all the rights to the famous boy reporter’s image.But in court, the lawyer for the Hergé Society produced a 73-year-old document in which Hergé signed over the book image rights to his publisher, Casterman.
This means Belgian company Moulinsart is not the one to decide who can use material from the books, AFP quotes the court as saying.
The document came from a Hergé expert who wishes to remain anonymous and its validity has not been contested by either Moulinsart or the author’s family, AFP reports.
According to the NRC, Moulinsart also tried to have the fanclub prosecuted for infringing on its brand rights. This claim was also dismissed by the court because the fanclub is a non-profit organisation.
The paper says Moulinsart was attempting to claim €35,000 for each issue of the fanzine to use Tintin images.