Peter S. Beagle, the 81-year-old author of The Last Unicorn, has reclaimed the rights to almost all his works, following a legal battle that lasted half a decade.

In 2015, Beagle filed suit against his ex-manager Connor Cochran, alleging elder abuse, fraud, and slander, among other claims. According to the suit, Cochran fraudulently induced Beagle to “transfer his intellectual property (IP) rights to a sham corporation.” Cochran was accused of “tak[ing] advantage of [Beagle’s] literary success,” subjecting the author to punishing work schedules, and impugning his mental health to friends and family.
Beagle insisted at the time that his health was fine, conceding only that he lacked “business or financial savvy.” More details can be found in our report from 2015.