To Kill a Mockingbird copyright case dismissed

To Kill a Mockingbird author Harper Lee has settled her case against her former literary agent, Veritas Media Inc, in which she alleged she was “duped” into signing over her copyright of the book to the company.

The notice of dismissal said that the action is dismissed in its entirety, and that the parties will bear their own costs and attorney fees.

Gloria Phares, a partner at Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP who represented Lee in the matter, told WIPR: “Harper Lee has always been a very private person.  The case has ended as she desired:  quickly, with her copyright secured to her, and a return to private life.”

For most of the time since the book’s publication in 1960, Lee was represented by agent Mackintosh & Otis (M&O). After the M&O principal fell ill in 2002, his son-in-law, the defendant Samuel Pinkus, started diverting several M&O clients to his new company Veritas.

According to the complaint, filed in May this year, Pinkus “duped” Lee into assigning her copyright to Veritas in 2007.

Paul Fakler, partner at Arent Fox LLP in New York, said that though the case is interesting, it will not have wide-reaching implications.

He adds: “There was no trial and there were no adjudications of any of the allegations so unfortunately there is nothing anyone can glean from such a settlement,” he said.

“The case had an attention value that may have helped Lee somewhat,” said Fakler, adding that there are many other factors including money and personalities that could have an impact on copyright cases.

To Kill a Mockingbird is Harper Lee’s only novel. It won her the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1961.