Supreme Court rules Spider-Man toy royalties belong to Marvel Enterprises, not inventor

The Supreme Court — and Justice Elena Kagan in particular — had some fun with the Kimble v. Marvel case, but have ultimately ruled that the inventor of Spider-Man cannot collect royalties for the Marvel Enterprises' Web Blaster toy due to his expired patent. The ruling upheld a precedent set by an older case, Brulotte v. Thys Co., and, according to the court, it was up to Congress to decide if royalties should be allowed to accrue after a patent expires.

Kagan, a self-described "avid comic book fan" whose favorite movie is The Avengers, wrote the opinion. "Patents endow their holders with certain superpowers, but only for a limited time," she cautioned.

The ruling was favored by six, with three justices dissenting.

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