[3] Ethel had previously obtained the rights for an earlier English-language stage adaptation of the play which had been titled Agnes.
To further complicate matters, Ethel had sold the rights of performance for Agnes to the actress Kate Claxton.
[5] Further, the producer's of Anselma had entered into an agreement with the actress Kate Claxton, who had purchased the rights of performance from Ethel, to pay her royalties and thus a legal work-around was reached for performances of the play to continue in the midst of court battles.
[4] Ultimately, the lower court's initial ruling was overturned by the New York Supreme Court in December 1885, and Agnes Ethel was recognized as legally owning the rights to Sardou'sAndréa in both Australia and the United States as the actress had purchased those rights from the author.
This ruling placed a permanent injunction on performances of Anselma and any other stage adaptation of Sardou's play in the United States without the permission of Agnes Ethel.