How did Comedy Three obtain the rights from Maurer Productions
Comedy III always owned the trademark rights to the Stooges, since that corporation's creation in 1959 by Howard, Fine & DeRita.
Norman Maurer's film production/promotion activities, thru combinations of expediency, efficiency, etc., managed his father-in-law's & partners' interests in licensing, booking, et. al.,... and it all just sorta evolved into the
Norman Maurer Productions company name on things during the '60s.
After Joe DeRita died in July 1993, his family (joined by the Fines), sued NMP over licensing profit distributions for the period following Norman's death in 1986. Unfortunately in the process, Norm's name and reputation were drug thru the mud by the plaintiffs' lawyers.
In 1994 the plaintiffs won, NMP was disbanded, and Comedy III was reinstated as the managing corporation of the Stooges'
Trademark rights. C3 is still a 3-way Moe/Larry/DeRita-heirs entity, but...
Due to settlement agreements following the lawsuit, Moe's family transferred its management proxy over to the DeRita family. The DeRita heirs are the senior management of C3 and have controlled 2/3 of C3's activities since 1994.