Harper Lee settles "Mockingbird" novel dispute with Alabama museum

A Wall Street Journal report said Harper Lee and the Monroe County's Old Courthouse Museum had agreed to settle on a trademark dispute regarding the reclusive author's "To Kill a Mockingbird." The report did not have any other details on what both parties had agreed on.

Last year, Lee sued the Alabama museum and claimed that the cultural institution tried to generate profits on her story, which is of a small-town, Southern lawyer who was resilient in proving that a black man was not guilty of a rape charge in a Depression-era tale, WSJ said. Lawyers who represented Lee said the museum allegedly sold unlicensed merchandise related to the "Mockingbird" franchise, which ranged from apparel to drink packages with a label that read "Mockingbird Lemonade Mix," the newspaper said. Lee reportedly sought unspecified amount of damages and was also looking to get a court order to halt future sales of the museum's franchise based on the "Mockingbird" novel.

WSJ noted that coincidentally, the Monroe County's Old Courthouse Museum is the star tourist attraction in Monroeville, where Lee is a native and of which she has gotten inspiration from to write her celebrated novel.

In its defense, the Alabama museum said that it was merely trying to support its education and historical preservation mandates.

When WSJ's Law blog contacted both Lee and Monroe County's Old Courthouse Museum, both parties refused to discuss details about their settlement. The settlement made its existence known as court papers of the development of Lee's lawsuit was made public on Tuesday, WSJ said.

In an emailed statement, Birmingham attorney Sam David Knight, who represented Monroe County's Old Courthouse Museum in the settlement, said, "Pursuant to the terms of the settlement negotiations, we cannot comment at this time." An attorney representing Lee also declined to provide comment about the settlement, WSJ said.

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Monroe County’s Old Courthouse Museum, Harper Lee, Mockingbird dispute

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