Status of Ogon Batto (The Golden Bat)

Anyone know anything about the status of Ogon Batto (The Golden Bat), the famous Japanese superhero who debuted in 1930? He's kinda cool, in his own weird way. If he was PD, it would add some diversity to the stable of PD characters.

As I understand it, he is definitely PD in Japan, but America, being special about copyright law, won't allow him to be PD here until 2026, UNLESS he was public domain in Japan as of 1995. For that to be true, I believe his creators would have had to have died before 1957. That seems doubtful since they were both young when they created the character. I know when the creators were born, but not when they died. The other possibility is that they sold the rights to a corporation that published the character before 1945, but I doubt that scenario too. Or maybe they just didn't have any heirs or the heirs no longer try to maintain the rights. Anyone know who, if anyone, owns the rights to the character?

Anyone know of any other cool international PD characters? Current copyright laws seem to make it almost impossible to find non-American superheroes in our PD.

Well, if you consider Canada to be "international" then - maybe.

The Penguin by Bell Features seems to be, as per (my) entry on him on PDSH:
The Collections Canada site listed below (http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/comics/027002-8300-e.html) notes that "© Nelvana Limited. Reproduced with the permission of Nelvana Limited." It appears that there are no registrations, deeds or probated wills etc. that prove or show that Nelvana Limited has ownership of the original copyrights to this series of comics explicitly "Wow" comics, neither in the U.S or in Canada. There is some indication that at one time this company reprinted these comics, but still no indication of copyright ownership.[4] If the matter should be deemed conclusive that the characters is not PD, this entry should be removed.

Basically, we couldn't find any evidence that the comics were still under copyright ...

Nelcana Limited? Do they claim to own Nelvana of the Northern Lights? Is there any evidence that Nelvana or Mr. Monster are under copyright?

Nelcana Limited? Do they claim to own Nelvana of the Northern Lights? Is there any evidence that Nelvana or Mr. Monster are under copyright?

Well, I wanted to post "Wow" Comics #16 on GAC or DCM and asked if it were under copyright (no luck finding the post) and someone had a look into it (a copyright knowledgable person) and didn't find anything.

It was only specific to the Penguin character appearing in "Wow", no Nelvana. I honestly don't know if she is PD or not, but I kind of naughtily "assume" so.

http://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=815889&gsub=107702

argosail wrote:

Nelcana Limited? Do they claim to own Nelvana of the Northern Lights? Is there any evidence that Nelvana or Mr. Monster are under copyright?

Did find a general discussion here (with no apparent resolution):
http://goldenagecomics.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,2142.0.html

roygbiv666 wrote:

Well, I wanted to post "Wow" Comics #16 on GAC or DCM and asked if it were under copyright (no luck finding the post) and someone had a look into it (a copyright knowledgable person) and didn't find anything.

It was only specific to the Penguin character appearing in "Wow", no Nelvana. I honestly don't know if she is PD or not, but I kind of naughtily "assume" so.

http://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=815889&gsub=107702

argosail wrote:

Nelcana Limited? Do they claim to own Nelvana of the Northern Lights? Is there any evidence that Nelvana or Mr. Monster are under copyright?

Did find a general discussion here (with no apparent resolution):
http://goldenagecomics.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,2142.0.html

Oooh .. interesting:
http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showthread.php?383301-Did-anyone-read-Nelvana-of-the-Northern-Lights
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1964883/plotsummary
http://www.lostheroes.ca/