Not to pee in the proverbial picnic basket, but...
As the article clearly points out, aside from several studios/production companies asserting rights to the show, there is also the thorny issue of stars from other shows appearing in character as Batman & Robin scaled Gotham City's walls that would need to be resolved prior to a DVD/Blu-Ray release (anyone remember the Beavis & Butthead collections? Nevermind that it wasn't the complete series, ALL of the music videos had to be removed due to licensing...kind of gutting the whole idea).
I also don't see any mention that the rights to use the actors likenesses had been resolved with the actors themselves (or their estates)...only the individual STUDIOS. It was common practice back then for actors to sign away rights to their likenesses altogether, or if they had any type of licensing agreement, they tended to be fairly short-term...2 - 5 years depending on the perceived popularity and projected longevity of the show. Which led to some pretty generic looking merchandise until those contracts expired.
I can't help wondering if the ACTORS will benefit from this new deal, or just the studios that now hold the rights to the character/actors' likenesses.
