Andrzej Sapkowski, the writer best known for creating The Witcher, has railed on different occasions against CD Projekt RED. The studio is responsible for the successful adaptation of the series of books to video games. The problem is that Sapkowski believed that the saga would not succeed, so he gave away the rights without royalty.
However, the history of video games was quite different, as The Witcher soon became one of the most successful franchises in the industry. It was then that Sapkowski demanded CD Projekt RED a payment for copyright.
The writer argued that in the end, the success of the games was due to his books and not vice versa. The company and Sapkowski agreed to pay royalties, but the writer apparently did not agree with the amount.
CD Projekt RED informed today that the novelist now demands a higher payment than was determined. From the company’s perspective, the request has no basis “with regard to their merit as well as the stipulated amount.” This is because they legally acquired the rights to the franchise.
Despite this, the studio will look for a way to reach a new agreement with Sapkowski. “The Company had legitimately and legally acquired copyright to Mr. Andrzej Sapkowski’s work, i.a. insofar as is required for its use in games developed by the Company. All liabilities payable by the Company in association therewith have been properly discharged,” the studio wrote.
In the lawsuit filed by Sapkowski, it is detailed that a payment of approximately $16 million is sought for the success of the series, especially The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. For the time being, the negotiations continue, so we’ll have to wait to see if Sapkowski will get more royalties.
