Federal judge approves Spawn copyright deal

MADISON — A federal judge has approved a settlement ending a copyright battle between fantasy industry giants Neil Gaiman and Todd McFarlane.

McFarlane and Gaiman have been fighting for a little more than a decade over Gaiman's claims that he co-owns a handful of supporting characters in McFarlane's Spawn comic book series. A federal jury in Madison agreed with Gaiman in 2002 and he and McFarlane have spent the last nine years trying to determine how much Gaiman deserves in royalties.

Their attorneys filed notice last week they had reached a confidential settlement. U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb approved the agreement on Tuesday, officially closing the books on the case.