Spurgeon talks to Lee's lawyer

In another great contribution to The Pulse, Tom Spurgeon chats up Stan the Man's lawyer Howard Graff about his client's recent victory against Marvel. Some snippets:

The Pulse: I know from reading press material that filing against Marvel was sort of a last resort for Stan Lee; has he been a good client considering this initial reluctance to file suit?

Howard Graff: I would never comment on that, except to say that this is a terrific case for a lawyer, because we're on the side of the angels.

Angels? Eh.

Graff gives a status report, but his hopes for a quick resolution don't really seem all that likely:

My easiest response to that is that despite Marvel's public position that they're appealing and that they'll fight to the last breath, I guess, I'm hoping that after they've had a chance to reconsider their position, maybe after licking their wounds a bit, they'll recognize that they have an obligation to Stan and just honor that obligation.

Also of interest, since the case was file before "Spider-Man 2," the cash Stan is looking to gain has changed (read "increased"):

I can't comment on what I discovered, but the case was filed three years ago. And notably, that was before Spider-Man 2. It was before the DVDs were issued on Spider-Man 1.

Great job by Tom getting ahold of the attorney. While he spoke legalese (as is to be expected) throughout, there were some bits that can be cobbled together to form a shoddy road map: It's in Marvel's hands now, and despite Graff's hopes, I'm pretty sure they're going to appeal, because it looks like Stan could make a boatload of bills if he becomes the eventual winner.

To read the full story, click on the headline. also, Tom has the full text of the opinion up as well.