ement ▁cases ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁propriet ors ▁of ▁Super man ▁copy right s ▁su ed ▁other ▁companies ▁for ▁publishing ▁fict ional ▁explo its ▁of ▁a ▁c ape - we aring ▁super h ero . ▁Although ▁the ▁pla int iffs ▁were ▁successful ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁two ▁cases , ▁Super man ▁v . ▁Wonder man ▁and ▁Super man ▁v . ▁Captain ▁Marvel , ▁they ▁were ▁completely ▁un success ful ▁in ▁Super man ▁v . ▁The ▁Great est ▁American ▁Hero . ▁The ▁court ▁( in ▁an ▁opinion ▁by ▁Circ uit ▁Judge ▁New man ) ▁held ▁that ▁" as ▁a ▁matter ▁of ▁law ▁ ▁. ▁. ▁. ▁' The ▁Great est ▁American ▁Hero ' ▁is ▁not ▁sufficiently ▁similar ▁to ▁the ▁fict ional ▁character ▁Super man , ▁the ▁hero ▁of ▁com ic ▁books , ▁television , ▁and ▁more ▁recently ▁films , ▁so ▁that ▁claims ▁of ▁copy right ▁in fr ing ement ▁and ▁unf air ▁competition ▁may ▁be ▁dismiss ed ▁without ▁consideration ▁by ▁a ▁j ury ." ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁Fact s ▁giving ▁rise ▁to ▁dispute ▁ ▁In ▁January ▁ 1 9 8 1 , ▁the ▁American ▁Broadcast ing ▁Company ▁( ABC ) ▁issued ▁press ▁releases ▁and ▁began ▁to ▁run ▁prom ot ional ▁sp ots ▁for ▁the ▁TV ▁premi ere ▁of ▁The ▁Great est ▁American ▁Hero , ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁created ▁and ▁produced ▁by ▁Stephen ▁J . ▁C ann ell ▁Produ ctions . ▁The ▁protagon ist ▁of ▁the ▁TV ▁show ▁was ▁Ralph ▁H ink ley , ▁a ▁young ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁high ▁school ▁teacher ▁whose ▁physical ▁attributes ▁are ▁not ▁those