Mewborn

I. Factual and Procedural Background

Eric Knight authored the beloved children’s story, “Lassie Come Home,” about a boy and his dog who, when sold to a rich duke by the boy’s poverty-stricken family, makes an arduous journey to return home to her original owner. Inspired by the harsh realities of life during the Great Depres- sion, the story of the fearless collie, Lassie, and the boy who loved her was first published in the December 17, 1938 issue of The Saturday Evening Post, and was registered in the U.S. Copyright Office that year. Knight later developed the story into a novel, which was published and registered in the U.S. Copyright Office in 1940. Knight granted the rights to make the popular Lassie television series to Classic’s predecessors- in-interest, but died in 1943, before the renewal rights had vested. Under section 24 of the 1909 Copyright Act, the inter- est in the renewal term of the copyrights reverted to Knight’s wife, Ruth, and their three daughters, Jennie Knight Moore, Betty Knight Myers and Winifred Knight Mewborn. Each heir timely filed a renewal of copyright with the U.S. Copy- right Office in each of the works between 1965 and 1967. Because Classic’s…