Sullivan Entertainment's 1999 efforts to transition to a publicly traded company triggered a dispute with Lucy Maud Montgomery's heirs. Its prospectus informed potential investors that the shows based on Montgomery's work had been profitable, generating $35.7 million CAD in 1997 alone. However Montgomery's heirs had been told the shows had failed to turn a profit, so they sued. Sullivan counter-sued, for damage to his reputation. Sullivan successfully provided evidence that the Heirs of Montgomery had no reversionary copyright claims to the dramatic rights to the original novel they had sold him. The matter was eventually settled between the parties. Sullivan is a licensee of the Anne of Green Gables trademarks.