Off My Mind: Should Heroes Profit Off Merchandise?

I think that superheroes must ger money from the stuff with their logos.

I'm pretty sure Taskmaster is huge on doing this.

Absolutely. 
Even the biggest and best charities in the world have to cover their costs first before they can help anyone else.

A few years ago, in an italian comic titled PK, the same issue was considered. The local solution was the creation of the S.M.A. (Syndicate of Masked Authors) a Patent Office for superheroes' logos, codename, battlecries, catchphrases etc.
The diea was that whoever wanted to use a trademarked part of a hero image had to pay the S.M.A. for the copyright and these money went into a trust fund of the hero.

" yeah why not? "

Booster GOLD says "YES!" 

Also in the recent issue of Avengers Academy Stryker makes reference that Super Hero Squad Show exists in the MU and he can't belive Reptil was on that show because kids love dinosaurs.Just taught that was really funny.

i know superman has something set up so that when stuff with his logo or his appearace is sold the money from that goes to charity.

I would not like them to be paid directly by any one entity, because then you worry that, like politicians, the hero would be controlled by the one who has the money.  I would more prefer if they could find a way to use their powers to make it on their own, like Parker taking pictures of his own battles and selling them to the paper.  Other characters used their powers to help them get ahead in the workplace.
I think I remember seeing someone like Booster Gold sell advertising space on his Hero Uniform, maybe they could go that way with it, but then some one could trace the money that is being sent to the hero and figure out where it is going, and no one wants to see their favorite super hero all decked out in advertisements like a Nascar Car.

Super heroes need a players union like in sports.

 I think this is a valid argument. Remember  that not EVERY hero/heroine is independently wealthy
(pace Tony Stark, the late Janet Van Dyne(Wasp) who was a heiress as well as a fashion designer), Daredevil(as attorney Matt Murdock) is fairly well off if not stinking rich, Simon Williams as Wonder Man gets royalties from his films and merchandise), but all in all, most heroes/heroines could qualify for Green Stamps in the real world. If entities as different as Coca Cola and The Hells'Angel Motorcycle Club could have their names and images copyrighted then why not superheroes. My only concern with the business of heroes getting paid( as the SHRA mandates) just like law enforcement officers(presumably Federal ones such as FBI or DEA, US Marshals rather than the NYPD) is that the paying entity might try to control  the hero/heroine in question- "you take our money so you do what we say".
 
Terry

Yeah, I don't see why not. Especially the ones with civilian identities.

Wait.... Booster Gold isn't a sellout? :-)

if im bustin my butt to save a city (rather be abusing my powers though :p) i better get some money from the people putting my face on coffee mugs, and poorly articulated action figures....

But being a super hero is not supposed to be a business or entrepreneurship.   You're in it because you were bitten by a spider who had one too many bananas.  If you want to become a brand, become a brand.  Copyright, trademark, register your stuff.  But that comes with the possibility of being outed.   
 
Let's assume we live in the comic universe.  Or more specifically, the comic universe lives in our universe.  You can't tell me that every producer, director, publisher and cafe press store owner would not be all over these guys trying to get the trademarks to be able to licence their stuff or movies or books. 
 
So if you're a hero, and you have a brand more power to you.  Everyone that is a celebrity for whatever reason has a brand (I'm looking at you Jersey Shore).  There's no reason why heroes with flashy costumes can't either.

They should make a profit

I believe the way Superman does it would work best but I would have told them 75% of the profit would go to charity. Money hungry humans. lol

If someone is using a design you came up with for money, then you deserve a cut of the profits. Spidey should be worth millions, not living perpetual poverty.

Yeah they should, not everyone is Batman or Iron Man they need someway to survive (Financially).

They are public figures and it not like you can write a check to Spider-man.

Booster Gold dose it why dosen't everyone!!!

" if im bustin my butt to save a city (rather be abusing my powers though :p) i better get some money from the people putting my face on coffee mugs, and poorly articulated action figures.... "

@ricerx said:

"Super heroes need a players union like in sports. "

 They did it was called the Registration Act.

I actually thought about this when Bruce Wayne announced he was funding Batman.  Does this mean that Wayne Enterprises can claim ownership of Batman's likeness and can sell Batman merchandise?  I'd like to think that that's how he's gonna fund his Bat-Gadgets, from the profits off Batman merchandise.  Would be a pretty good marketing campaign too.  "Hey kids, want to help Batman fight crime?  Well you can if you buy Batman t-shirts, action figures, lunch boxes, DVDs, hats and anything else we can slap a bat on.  Ask your parents for permission."

I don't mind them getting paid, but this also caused me to think of how people would go on pilgrimages, and find shelter and food at the homes of strangers on the way.  Heroes save people all the time, and it would be interesting to see a hero do this sort of thing.  Citizens could choose to open their homes in gratitude to the hero and this would open up additional storyline possibilities as well.

 
Heroes should make money based on lickness anbd logo. 
 
 
It comes down to this. They are out there saving lives and need moiney to live off and save more lives. 
 
In Marvel Heroes don't have this problem, Most own their copyrights and trademarks. (Save Spidey) this is a silly DC problem 

" Wait.... Booster Gold isn't a sellout? :-) "

Since a good deal of heroes are vigilantes and therefore "criminals" in the most rigid sense of the law, they have no judicial claim to any products inspired by their exploits (compare to how OJ can't receive any profits from "If I Did It"). Now, heroes with publicly known identities can copyright and patent their logos, tech, image, etc. so they can get paid. Invincible Iron Man dealt with this quite well earlier on. Spidey was a guess in the issue and Tony remarked how just the invention of his web fluid could make him a millionaire, billionaire possibly, but he realizes he can't because his "Spider-Man" can't hold a patent, his civilian identity would have to do it. 

What if somebody uses a plastic Iron Man figure to bludgeon another person to death?  Can Iron Man be sued for allowing/backing an unsafe toy/figure?

If it were me, regardless of how I make money for a living, I think profiting off of my symbol would be a bit like exploitation.  I wouldn't want it to seem like I was only doing good deeds in order to promote my symbol and thereby make tons of cash.  Crappy apparent motive, even if it isn't my true motive.  I would try to grab trademarks and such through a lawyer willing to represent me, only in order to protect my symbol and likeness from being exploited by other people.  Any and all money taken in through licensed merchandise would go to a series of rotating charities and humanitarian organizations.

"I don't mind them getting paid, but this also caused me to think of how people would go on pilgrimages, and find shelter and food at the homes of strangers on the way.  Heroes save people all the time, and it would be interesting to see a hero do this sort of thing.  Citizens could choose to open their homes in gratitude to the hero and this would open up additional storyline possibilities as well. "

 Seriously, they should get royalties. 

Depends.
 
If a hero or team is started out as a 'for-hire', then in some regard the person or group should get paid, and pay applicable taxes (and licenses) as a citizen of whatever area they operate.  Heroes both grand and everyday shouldn't operate on the belief system that they are owed something more (at least not greatly more), unless they truly think of themselves above and beyond their fellow humankind (ruler in search of tribute).  Nor should humankind give up all their responsibilities and fights to the branded hero - it only feeds the system of belief.  SPOILERISH: Kinda the only part I really liked about Superman Returns was, it didn't seem like the world fell apart without him . . . kinda did start to as he returned . . . like a Lex magnet.
 
As for profiteers, happens in a lot of areas in the real world, but I wouldn't fault the hero or group who confronts those who didn't try to seek them out, or just choose to do it without their permission.  Companies protect themselves.

Justice and money aren't the same . A real hero woud never take money for the good he did .

I agree!  Some really good points came up... I don't see any reason why they shouldn't have the opportunity to make a profit from their own 'identity', but it also goes to say they would have to be careful what kind of merchandising they did, whether it was purely 'item' based or if they did commercials, ads, etc... and had that sort of influence. 
 
Giving half, or even three-quarters to charity would be easy enough, considering they never seem to have all that much to purchase for themselves- rarely eat, usually only have (apparently) one or two different pieces of clothing, blah blah.  You get the idea.  So yea, I agree that they should be able to register or trademark their logos, etc, and make a profit off of them!

Yeah, like Bruce Wayne needs MORE money.

Another point: A hero who is lucky enough to not be on bad terms with the law, but isn't financially well off, should be very careful on the particulars of profiting/making a living off of heroism.  Finances can lead a villain to the upperhand in a struggle if the hero relies on it.

Why can't Spidey just get himself a nice anonymous PayPal account?

I think super heroes should fight the taxation of profits and wages instead , that is the real evil in this world , why our hard work should go to effin politicians and "governments"

In a Co-operative, Courteous,  Conscientious world Superhero's would not need money but in the world's SuperHero's Live in they should allways get money for their services no matter what. Why? the same reason we all pay for comicbooks. Because we have to pay to read of thier exploits so they entail should get compensation for their heroics that we pay for. I'm sure   Marvel and Dc can open an account with Luckman, Landau and Lake or That transdimensional bank that Courtney Ross runs  and get some money to our heroes. Did I just Blow your mind? maybe.

If a superhero is looking to profit from their image, then they're more concerned about being super, not being a hero. 

Among the first issues of the Amazing Spiderman this topic was already discussed showing a pretty close to real-life application. Spiderman went to a bank and deposited all his earnings there. In order to prove who he was he would climb walls and shoot some webs here and there. 
 
Unfortunately for him the Chameleon noticed him and began crafting an imitation of his costume and make a web gun as well as suction cups to climb walls. He fooled the bank tellers and took all the money leaving Spiderman poor.
 
Fact is even if their identity was know every superhero could encounter the above situation and would greatly hinder their possibility to actually have access to a money storage facility such as banks and since they're away every so often to save the day they'd need a huge investment in home security to prevent heists(like the high tech security the Baxter building has). Not every superhero is that rich.
 
Lets remember how Bruce Wayne helped Dick Grayson during his time away in Bludheaven as Nightwing. He would always buy him a place to stay, always make sure that the people Dick sent him for help would get jobs and homes but that's because he was extremely rich and could afford it. Heroes like Spiderman just don't have that income and they have to rely on their day-to-day job in order to sustain themselves. 
 
Having merchandise with your name/logo/emblem and getting people to buy it as a superhero while it may help it'll bring down superheroes from their "legend" standard more to a "policeman" standard. A part of the charm of a superhero is the fact that he saves the day without asking questions, without being it their job to do so, they do it because they want to make the world a better place.
 
Per example Dick Grayson took a job as a policeman in Bludheaven because the city was so corrupt that being Nightwing at night just didn't cut it. Unfortunately while it didn't last it sure helped to see both views towards preventing crimes. As a payed citizen to partake in a squad and take down criminals does make you more vulnerable since fear and the element of surprise are taken out of the equation. More so we are shown how badly the cops are trained compared to a superhero's training or their access to weapons and armor. 
 
While having richer superheroes does help them, I'm sure they'd appreciate it more if that money went to charity and they wouldn't want to be payed for something they do out of the goodness of their heart(s).

I'm not sure how much a reporter makes but Clark's apartment is pretty swanky I bet he uses his superpowers to collects thousands of dollars worth of lose change.
I wanna go in his coat closet he probbaly has a 5 gallon water jug full of quarters.