Earlier this week, Bill Willingham released a shocking letter revealing his intent to make "Fables" free for public use after claiming DC Comics is in violation of its contractual agreements regarding the series and has skirted paying him royalties. Instead of going after DC through what would likely be a lengthy legal battle for the 67-year-old writer, he opted for a nuclear option, saying that if he couldn't write the series due to his struggles with DC, then the "Fables" franchise is now in the public domain, with fans and other creators now free to use elements and characters from the comic without worrying about copyright laws.
With Willingham claiming the series is now in the public domain and DC Comics saying it is ready to take the necessary legal steps to ensure its intellectual property rights for the comic are protected, the situation will likely only get messier from here. While Willingham wanted to avoid legal drama with the publisher, if DC Comics ends up going after those who use "Fables" in their own material, he might not have any other choice but to challenge the comic's ownership through the court system.
