MADISON, Wis. (AP) - A federal judge has approved a settlement
ending a copyright battle between fantasy industry giants Neil
Gaiman and Todd McFarlane.

McFarlane and Gaiman have been fighting for a little more than a
decade over Gaiman's claims that he co-owns a handful of supporting
characters in McFarlane's Spawn comic book series. A federal jury
in Madison agreed with Gaiman in 2002 and he and McFarlane have
spent the last nine years trying to determine how much Gaiman
deserves in royalties.

Their attorneys filed notice last week they had reached a
confidential settlement. U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb approved
the agreement on Tuesday, officially closing the books on the case.