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Harper Lee has settled the lawsuit she filed to secure the copyright to her classic novel, "To Kill a Mockingbird."
A federal judge in New York City approved the order last week dismissing the case against Samuel L. Pinkus, the son-in-law of Lee's former literary agent, and companies he allegedly created. Two other defendants had been dropped from the suit a week earlier. Gloria C. Phares, the Alabama author's attorney, says the case had ended to Lee's satisfaction. Defense attorney Vincent Carissimi said many people misconstrued the nature of the case and that Lee's royalties were never in danger. Filed in early May in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, the suit alleged that Pinkus failed to properly protect the copyright after his father-in-law, Eugene Winick, became ill a decade ago.
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Phylicia Rashad is best known for starring roles on stage and television, but as a director she decided to commemorate a historic moment that helped spur the civil rights movement. The Tony Award-winning actress directed a reading of the play "Four Little Girls: Birmingham 1963" at the Kennedy Center Sunday to mark the 50th anniversary of the bombing at 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala. Four girls were killed in the explosion, which was set by white supremacists and helped spur passage of landmark civil rights legislation. Rashad, who is recognized for her portrayal as the matriarch on "The Cosby Show" TV series and Broadway's "A Raisin in the Sun," said she wanted the reading to emphasize the "sanctity of joy, human existence and the value of all life." The play was written by Christina Ham and starred students from Howard University and the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C.
Associated Press
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Singer LaMonte McLemore of the Fifth Dimension is 78. Singer Fee Waybill of The Tubes is 63. Actress Elvira is 62. Comedian Rita Rudner is 60. Actor-director Paul Feig is 51. Director Baz Luhrmann is 51. Singer BeBe Winans is 51. Actor Kyle Chandler ("Early Edition") is 48. Rapper Doug E. Fresh is 47. Actor Malik Yoba ("New York Undercover") is 46. Vocalist Keith Flint of Prodigy is 44. Actor Matthew Settle ("Gossip Girl") is 44. Rapper Vinnie of Naughty by Nature is 43. Singer Anastacia is 40. Singer Marcus Sanders of Hi-Five is 40. Singer-actress Nona Gaye is 39. Drummer Chuck Comeau of Simple Plan is 34. Bassist Jon Walker (Panic at the Disco) is 28. Associated Press
