Managing Intellectual Property

Steinbeck heirs denied publishing rights

18 August 2008

Ryan Pasquale, New York

The New York Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit has awarded publishing rights for the works of late author John Steinbeck to his estate, overturning a lower court decision in favour of Steinbeck’s son and granddaughter

The appellate court's decision last Wednesday restored control of the copyrights to the heirs of Steinbeck's late wife, Elaine, and Penguin Group Inc.

Prominent Steinbeck works such as The Grapes of Wrath, Tortilla Flat, and Of Mice & Men were among the disputed titles.

The lawsuit arose in 2004 after Steinbeck's son, Thomas Steinbeck, and the author's granddaughter, Blake Smyle, attempted to cancel the original 1938 contract with Penguin.

This conflicted with Elaine Steinbeck's renegotiation of...



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