Part 6/13:
A significant factor behind these character updates appears to be DC’s desire to evade copyright and trademark entanglements. Historically, the Superman character's origin involved creators Siegel and Schuster, whose families hold certain rights. Over decades, legal battles over ownership and royalties have created complex issues.
Ethan Van Skiver pointed out that DC's recent moves to change the character's portrayal and slogan might be primarily motivated by a desire to "sidestep" these rights. By creating a new version of Superman—such as Jon Kent, who is entirely DC-owned—they can sidestep ongoing royalties owed to the original creators' estates. This way, DC can fairly produce and profit from new interpretations without sharing returns with the original family.