Tribune Media Services has filed a lawsuit against Oscar-winning filmmaker Warren Beatty that refutes the actor’s claim to the rights to comic strip character Dick Tracy.
The Hollywood Reporter states Beatty and Tribune have been arguing over the rights to the character since 2006.
Beatty originally acquired the rights to Tracy in 1985, and made a successful Dick Tracy feature film in 1990.
Tribune claims that since Beatty has not made use of the rights in the intervening years, that the rights have reverted to Tribune.
Beatty filed a suit against the media company in November, saying he had begun work on a Dick Tracy TV special that would allow him to retain the rights. Tribune says the special would benefit neither party and disputed that work had begun on the project in a significant enough manner for Beatty to retain the rights under their agreement.
