The June 1999 resolution of copyright infringement claims brought by Vladimir Nabokov’s estate against a book called Lo’s Diary and the book’s U.S. publication in October brought the long-debated issue of copyright and fictional characters to the surface once again.
Re-using fictional characters has been a writer’s venue for years, as authors have finished or written new adventures for Scarlett O’Hara, Jane Austen’s heroines, Dickens’ Edwin Drood, Alice in Wonderland, and Sherlock Holmes. But these stories were either done through licenses with the authors’ estates or were based on works in the public domain. Lolita was published in 1954, and its expression is protected by copyright law. And, until the agreement, Lo’s Diary, which tells the story from Lolita’s perspective, was not authorized by the author’s estate.
This content has been archived. It is available through our partners, LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law.
To view this content, please continue to their sites.
Not a Lexis Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
Not a Bloomberg Law Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law are third party online distributors of the broad collection of current and archived versions of ALM's legal news publications. LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law customers are able to access and use ALM's content, including content from the National Law Journal, The American Lawyer, Legaltech News, The New York Law Journal, and Corporate Counsel, as well as other sources of legal information.
For questions call 1-877-256-2472 or contact us at [email protected]
