Marvel V. Reddit & Google

As a massive Marvel nerd, the second I heard about this case I knew I would be covering it. Because things are still unfolding, today's post will just be an overview of the legal situation so far, and I will post updates whenever new information is available. Now, into the Marvel-verse!

Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) is a popular marvel hero who has been through a lot. In the past few years, the character has had multiple appearances in The Avengers, and three movies, featuring his crime fighting adventures. It is the script to the recent third movie, "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" which has caused quite the legal commotion. In January 2023, one (or more) Reddit users posted the complete script to Reddit before its cinematic release a month later. Additionally, the script was said to be stored on Google Docs by the leaker. Allegedly.

Marvel's legal team is taking this situation very seriously. Marvel has a following and influence almost as massive as the Marvel-verse itself. Reddit is one of the most popular platforms for fans to discuss plots of recent movies, conspire about character theories, and more. Thus, scripts are held close to the chest to preserve anticipation and media buzz for each addition to the 32-film timeline. With the recent Ant-Man script leak, Disney, Marvel's parent company, notified both Google and Reddit that they were infringing on Marvel's IP rights.

In May (2023), Marvel's attorney's petitioned the Californian federal court for permission to subpoena records from Google and Reddit. The petition has been granted, and the court is requiring both companies to turn over the records of the users who are alleged to be involved and responsible for the leaks, including addresses and phone numbers. If the companies don't comply they will be held in contempt of court.

While this case is predominantly about intellectual property rights to creative works held by Marvel, I predict that the social media conversation will instead turn its attention to the defending parties. If Google and Reddit decide to provide the court with reasons they can't (or won't) turn over users information, this case, if sent to trial, will most likely set precedent for future online privacy cases, laws, and regulations.

To stay up to date with this case and more IP legal news, follow The Kayla Konnection on Pinterest @kaylakonnection, and Instagram @kayla_konnection. You can also reach out with questions or comments via thekaylakonnection@gmail.com or Linkedin.

~Kayla