Author’s Estate Will Pay for Legal Battle Over Right to Quote Material in Research

Carol Shloss, a Stanford professor, and the estate of author James Joyce recently reached a settlement regarding Shloss’ legal fees incurred during her battle for rights to quote Joyce family documents.  Under the agreement, the estate will pay $240,000.

The Joyce estate originally threatened a lawsuit if Shloss used the quotes, but in 2007 Shloss sued the estate.  A resulting settlement allowed Shloss to restore the disputed material to her already published research.  Subsequently, a court ordered the estate to pay Scloss’ legal fees because she was the prevailing party. 

The copyright on Joyce’s works would have expired in 1991 had a new law not extended the copyright an additional 20 years. 

See Bob Egelko, Professor wins fees from Joyce estate, SF Gate, Sept. 29, 2009.

Special thanks to Joel Dobris (Professor of Law, UC Davis School of Law) for bringing this article to my attention.