While I think that may be true of the comics, I thought adaptions and such were exempt from this. I remember some time ago there was a serious possibility of a very, very, very badly concieved Sandman movie, and as I recall, Gaiman was all 'yes, it all sounds awful, but I can't do much about it except point out that the potential Death movie they're talking about, it looks like I'll be more significantly involved' (of course, that hasn't come to pass yet either).