While George Barris is preparing to sell his original 1966 Batmobile at the upcoming Barrett-Jackson
auction in Scottsdale, another custom builder is attempting to stave
off a copyright lawsuit. Mark Towle has been building Batmobile replicas
through his business, Gotham Garage, for years, and has sold off two
versions of the famous '66 TV car and at least one recreation of Bruce
Wayne's ride from the 1989 film. His efforts have earned him a two-year
legal battle with Warner Brothers subsidiary DC Comics, with the
publisher claiming its copyright protection extends to "the overall look
and feel" of the Batmobile and that Towle has violated those
copyrights.
