Warren Beatty vs. Tribune - The Battle Over Dick Tracy

Academy Award-winning director and actor, Warren Beatty, is being sued by Tribune Media Services for exclusive film and television rights to the Dick Tracy comic book character, according to a Reuters report.

According to Delaware court filings, Beatty purchased the rights in a 1985 agreement and went on to act and direct the 1990 film by the same name. The movie won three Academy Awards and featured Dustin Hoffman, Madonna, and Al Pacino.

According to the Associated Press, the agreement permitted Beatty's control over the character but was required to return the rights to Tribune Media Services at the company's behest contingent upon several conditions and a two-year notification process.

In 1990, Beatty gave the rights to the Walt Disney Co., who produced the Dick Tracy film. In 2002, Tribune took back control of the character rights and notified Disney, but not according to the process outlined in the contract. Disney rejected Tribune's claim and gave back most of the rights to Beatty, according to the actor's attorney, Bertram Fields.

"[The contract] was very carefully done and they just ignored it," he said. "The Tribune is a big, powerful company and they think they can just run roughshod over people. They picked the wrong guy."

Both parties have been engaged in a legal battle over the Dick Tracy rights since 2006, according to court documents.

Tribune argues that Beatty had "made no productive use" of the rights for over a decade and therefore violated the stipulations in the contract that would allow the actor to retain his control. In November, Beatty filed a suit against Tribune, claiming that he had initiated work on a Dick Tracy television special, and should thus be able to preserve his rights to the character.

Tribune Media Services is an affiliate of the bankrupt Tribune Company, which owns radio and TV stations nationwide. The company also owns newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times.