Penguin Group Wins Rights to Steinbeck Novels

A federal appeals court today overturned a New York U.S. District Court ruling from 2006 that gave John Steinbeck’s son and granddaughter the rights to 10 of his books.

Reuters reports that the appeals court determined that Penguin Group should own the copyrights to Mr. Steinbeck’s early works, including The Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men, and the Nobel- and Pulitzer Prize-winning author’s first published novel, Cup of Gold. As Reuters notes, “The case has been seen as having ramifications for heirs of other artists seeking to control future use of famous works.” In a statement, a lawyer for Mr. Steinbeck’s son and granddaughter said they would “continue to pursue damage claims in court.”