Despite last week’s suggestion by the New Republic that the termination of Hachette Book Group’s mass market license for To Kill a Mockingbird was a confusing “first action” of Harper Lee’s estate following her death, the process was set in motion 5 years ago and has been hidden in plain sight at least since 2013. Per the copyright law provision that allows the reversion of rights upon request for pre-1978 works after 56 years from the original issuing of the copyright, in April 2011 Lee filed a notice of termination with Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins and San Val, which publishes a school & library edition […]
