The iconic Ghostface mask from the Scream franchise is at the center of a legal battle as the seventh installment, Scream 7, hits theaters. Paramount and Spyglass, the franchise's producers, are suing SFX studio Alterian Ghost Factory, claiming they have been 'intentionally sleeping on their rights' to the mask for 30 years. The dispute revolves around the ownership of the mask's design, with Alterian arguing that they created the original design, while Fun World, who developed the mask for Halloween in the early '90s, licensed it to Paramount. Paramount counters that Alterian's lack of legal action over the decades has forfeited their claim to ownership. The lawsuit seeks to prevent Alterian from threatening copyright infringement, with Paramount's complaint stating, 'Alterian has never legally established that it owns the rights to the Ghostface mask.' The legal battle may continue beyond the release of Scream 7 on February 27, as the companies fight for control over the franchise's iconic villain.
