The writer of The Witcher novels has delivered a authorized demand for cost to game builders CD Projekt Red, amounting to 60 million Polish Zloty (roughly £12.four million or $16 million). Andrzej Sapkowski is the writer of the Wiedźmin series of fantasy books, later translated as The Witcher in English. He made a cope with CD Projekt within the early 2000s that may enable them to show Geralt right into a bunch of polygons. But now, in a letter sent to the developers, his attorneys are arguing that he deserves extra. As anticipated, there’s plenty of authorized patter. But the gist of it’s that Sapkowski seems like he hasn’t seen a good quantity of the earnings which have come from the world he created.
The writer’s attorneys are basing this demand on Polish regulation, particularly the Act on Copyright and Related Rights. They argue that this regulation “may be invoked when the compensation remitted to the author is too low given the benefits obtained in association with the use of that author’s work.” In different phrases: The Witcher collection has made hundreds of thousands and hundreds of thousands and hundreds of thousands. And Sapkowski hasn’t seen these hundreds of thousands.
They additionally argue that the unique settlement made with Sapkowski in regards to the first Witcher game didn’t explicitly cowl the earnings gained from any sequel.
“Careful reading of your contracts concluded with the Author might lead one to conclude that, if the company did effectively acquire any copyright at all, it concerned only the first in a series of games, and therefore distribution of all other games, including their expansions, add-ons etc., is, simply speaking, unlawful.”
But whoa, decelerate there. This isn’t a lawsuit, and Sapkowski’s attorneys say they aren’t considering pushing that individual level. They’re simply utilizing it as a form of pre-argument for any form of authorized spat. However, the lawyerly flexing contained inside the letter means that Sapkowski’s lawfolk are ready to convey the demand additional, ought to CD Projekt not wish to negotiate. It looks like the builders do wish to hash one thing out although, judging by the corporate’s response.
“It is the Company’s will to maintain good relations with authors of works which have inspired CD Projekt Red’s own creations,” they mentioned in a notice on their website. “Consequently, the Board will go to great lengths to ensure amicable resolution of this dispute; however, any such resolution must be respectful of previously expressed intents of both parties, as well as existing contracts.”
But additionally they level out that each one copyright in regards to the White Wolf and buddies has already been “legitimately and legally acquired” and counsel that the sum Sapkowski is asking for is an excessive amount of.
“In the Company’s opinion the demands expressed in the notice are groundless,” says the assertion, “with regard to their merit as well as the stipulated amount.”
Basically: we don’t concede that this can be a honest demand, however we’ll speak to you about it anyway.
As for the writer himself, he has beforehand spoken about his cope with the videogame makers. In an interview with Bertie from Eurogamer, Sapkowski mentioned that he just about handed Geralt over for one lump sum, considering that the game would by no means take off.
“I was stupid enough to sell them rights to the whole bunch,” he says. “They offered me a percentage of their profits. I said, ‘No, there will be no profit at all – give me all my money right now! The whole amount.’ It was stupid. I was stupid enough to leave everything in their hands because I didn’t believe in their success. But who could foresee their success? I couldn’t.”
The regulation books are twisty tomes filled with gray magick, and it could be exhausting for a non-lawdancer similar to I to make any predictions about the place it will finish, particularly for the reason that unique settlement from again within the auld days stays a personal doc. We’ll let you understand how it goes.
