Bernice King is resisting the demands of the company that controls the King estate and is seeking a restraining order that would compel her to hand over the letters that had been kept by Coretta Scott King in a suitcase under her bed.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution said Tuesday that the dispute centers on a book contract for a biography of Coretta Scott King that was negotiated by the corporation that controls the civil rights leader's works. King's son, Dexter, heads the company.

Bernice King contends the letters being to her mother's estate, which is controlled by a different company that she runs.

The newspaper said the publisher of the planned book has vowed to cancel the $1.4 million contract if the letters aren't made available to the author.