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Attorneys for Lee and the Monroe County Heritage Museum
announced in February that the two sides reached an out-of-court
settlement.
But the agreement has fallen through, according to legal filings
from Lee's attorneys. An Alabama judge on Thursday reset a trial
date for November 2014.
Norman Stockman, an attorney for Lee, said in the filing that
the museum has not complied with the terms and is attempting to
add new requests. The museum's lawyer, Sam David Knight,
declined to comment. Details of the agreement have not been made
public.
The reclusive author sued the museum in October, saying it never
paid her a licensing fee for using the novel's title and a
mockingbird image on merchandise it sold in its gift shop.
Lee's suit contended the museum earned more than $500,000 in
2011 by selling goods including aprons, kitchen towels, clothing
and coasters emblazoned with the title of her sole published
work.
The museum is located in Monroeville, the rural town that
inspired the setting for Lee's 1960 bestselling classic about
racism and injustice.
The tourist attraction includes the old courthouse that served
as a model for the courtroom in the book's movie version, which
earned Gregory Peck the Academy Award for Best Actor for his
portrayal of small-town lawyer Atticus Finch.
Museum officials contend that Lee never requested compensation
for the souvenirs honoring her literary legacy before filing the
lawsuit.
Lee, 88, is in declining health after suffering a stroke and
lives in an assisted living facility in Monroeville, according
to the suit.
(Editing by Kevin Gray and Ken Wills)
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