Does anyone know what characters they're supposed to be seeking copyright termination for?  Because I keep hearing lots of wild speculation and no facts on what time period and what chracters we're talking about. With very few exceptions, Kirby's work until 1970 was done with either Joe Simon or Stan Lee and I haven't heard anything about how this affects them.  

Spider-Man? I know he had an initial go at the design, but am I wrong in thinking that Spidey is 100% Ditko and Lee?

edited to add: for clarity, when I say 'he had an initial go', I mean Kirby.

"Knut, pretrty much the entire Marvel Universe up until 1970 was co-created by Jack Kirby. "

I know what Kirby did. But they're not claiming overship over half the pre 1970 Marvel Universe, are they? Lots of those characters, including Spider-Man, are characters that Kirby doesn't even have bragging rights to.

There has to be specific claims to specific characters that is then backed up with evidence.  Some of the reports say that the Kirby estate served notice on Sony who only have rights to Spider-Man and Ghost Rider.  If they're laying claim to Spider-Man or Ghost Rider, then how is this not frivolous or ill considered?

We should know which characters are involved. If they've served 45 legal notices they must have a list of characters that they're claiming. At least a provisional list.   

QUOTE: I know this is revisiting a past discussion, but how does anyone have a 'right' to the product of another person's labor?

By being the family of the person. Tha'ts how people usually get their inheritance.

I imagien Jack would love for his heirs to receive profit from his work. That was the whole point of him trying to regain his original artwork.

"I do hope Stan gets half."

There is no conceivable situation whereby Stan Lee can reclaim any copyright to anything he ever created for Marvel. He was an actual employee of Marvel, mostly as an editor, since he was about 17 years old. None of the work he did in those years could possibly fall outside a work-for-hire situation.  The sole possible exception being his Willie Lumpkin strip with Dan DeCarlo (or was it Stan Goldberg).  But even then, by bringing Willie Lumpkin into the Marvel Universe himself, he cannot in good faith prevent Marvel from using him (at least in reprints).