This year, one of the greatest and most beloved fictional characters of all time, the Batman, turns 80. His first appearance in film was in the year 1943, with a film serial simply titled "Batman". The serial had a sequel in 1949, which was titled "Batman and Robin". Both serials were made by Columbia Pictures, which also made two film serials based on another beloved fictional character, Superman. Eventually, DC Comics, (owner of the Batman and Superman characters) acquired the rights to the Superman serials, yet for a strange reason they haven't aqcuired the rights to the Batman serials. The purpose of this petition is to persuade Sony Pictures Entertainment, the current owner of Columbia Pictures, to give the rights to the Batman serials to Warner Bros. and DC Comics. The Dark Knight's original cinematic appearances must be with their proper owners.