Legal Protection of Fictional Characters in American Law; The object lesson for Iranian Law

Using fictional characters in the marketing and advertising of goods and services is one of the oldest and the best known form of merchandising with a multi-million dollar annual turnover. The fame and popularity of most fictional characters go far beyond their role in the original works which first featured. In addition, many characters are created outside the context of any particular work and may therefore remain without mechanism and law protection. So, ensuring fair protection to the creators and their owners against unauthorized profit from their creativity is necessary. This paper seeks to answer the question whether it is possible to delineate a position for fictional characters to pursue their independent lives from primary works in legal systems? To answer this question, through a descriptive and analytical approach and by following American law, the authors try to examine the capacity of copyright and trademark systems and the situation which characters enter into the public domain. Undoubtedly, explaining how to protect the fictional characters and their creators, as well as, exploring other aspects of this right, such as identifying infringement criteria and the public domain's contribution to these rights, in addition to assist the jurisprudence, will enhance cultural activities and augment the richness of Iranian legal literature.