Description
This collection consists chiefly of legal papers dating between 1913 and 1914 that concern
the film rights to
The Seas Wolf, "A Piece of Steak," and other stories by American author Jack London. The materials originated from the firm
of Donald Barker, London's attorney.
Background
Donald Barker, a partner in the firm Flint, Gray & Barker, represented Bosworth
Incorporated and Jack London in their suit against the Balboa Amusement Producing Company in
1913. In the suit, London, Frank A. Garbutt, and Hobart Bosworth accused the Balboa
Amusement Producing Company, et. al., of infringing on London's copyrights by attempting to
distribute a version of The Sea Wolf. Copyrights for all of London's other works were
reviewed and their validity reestablished as well. Finally a compromise was proposed in
December 1913 by which Garbutt would re-edit the Balboa version of The Sea Wolf to remove
all traces of London's participation. The edited version would be distributed by Garbutt
with all revenues returning to the Balboa Company and Bosworth Incorporated's version would
not have to be held up any longer.
Extent
197 items in 4 boxes
Restrictions
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to
quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such
activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is
one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
Availability
Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services
Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.