Harper Lee is still
alive, at the ripe age of 87. Ms. Lee has failing eyesight and hearing. She
resides in an assisted-living facility since 2007 after suffering a stroke.
Harper Lee engages McIntoshand Otis as her literary agent for many years. When Eugene Winick,one of the
principles at the firm became ill in 2002, his son-in-law Mr. Samuel Pinkus
took over. Pinkus was sued by McIntosh for stealing several clients, including
Ms. Lee.
In 2007, Ms. Lee signed
a document assigning her copyright to her agent’s company. The idea was that
her agent, Mr. Samuel Pinkus, would act on her behalf.
Once Harper Lee found
out that her agent took advantage of her advanced age and infirmity to swindle her
out of royalties due to her. She promptly sued at the federal court in New York.
( Lee v. Pinkus, 13-3000, U.S. District Court, U.S. Bankruptcy Court,Southern District of New York (Manhattan).
Samuel Pinkus et al are
sued to confirm Harper Lee’s copyright ownership of “To Kill a Mockingbird”. In her suit, she asks that all commissions received
by Pinkus will be forfeited.
Last year, Lee’s copyright
was re-assigned to her after legal action. Samuel Pinkus was fired as her agent.
However, he kept receiving royalties from sales of “To Kill a Mockingbird” as detailed
in the legal complaint.
According to Harper Lee’s
lawyer Ms. Gloria Phares: “Pinkus knew that Harper Lee was an elderly woman
with physical infirmities that made it difficult for her to read and see. Harper Lee had no idea she had assigned her
copyright.”
The defendants, Samuel
Pinkus and his wife Ann Winick did not respond. Ms. Winick is the president of
Keystone Literary LLC and listed as a defendant. Another named defendant,
Gerald Posner, also did not respond. Mr. Posner is a New York lawyer and
investigative journalist who incorporated one of Pinkus’s businesses.
Ms. Lee wrote an amazing
novel that inspired generations. Taking advantage of her is just obnoxious. Let’s
hope that the court sees it the same way.
