Dan Ackerman, editor-in-chief of Gizmodo and author of the book Tetris Effectsued AppleTetris Company and its manufacturer Tetris movie for copyright infringement. The film allegedly stole material from his book, according to Ackerman, who has claimed millions of dollars in damages.
legal issues
Ackerman’s lawyers filed the lawsuit Monday in federal court in New York, saying he was the CEO of Tetris Company. Maya Rogers and screenwriter Noah Pink adapted the book without his consent. The lawsuit also cites Apple as the distributor of the work and several production companies involved in its creation as the defendant.
It tells the story of the puzzle game developed by Tetris. Alexey Pajitnov In Electronic 60, it managed to reach the West after a daring battle for the rights. The movie focuses on the character of Henk Rogers, who managed to assure Nintendo the possibility of developing the version bundled with possibly the most popular Game Boy.
It is the same story told in Ackerman’s book, but considering the book, it must be said that he was certainly not the first to address it. Game over 1993 film by David Sheff and documentary focusing on the rise of Nintendo Tetris: From Russia With Love The BBC’s dating back to 2004. There was also a comic devoted to the history of Tetris, titled Tetris: The Games People Play, published in 2016.
Ackerman’s case rests on three main arguments. The first is to characterize the story as a thriller set during the Cold War. Henk Rogers as the protagonist. Second, the film is structured scene-by-scene like a book (even in the timing 22 practically the same moments are mentioned in the case). Third, Ackerman mailed an advance copy of his book to Maya Rogers (Henk’s daughter) in 2016, as he was CEO of The Tetris Company and he and her father interviewed her to write the book. Work on the film with Pink didn’t start before 2017, starting with her book, according to Ackerman. Additionally, The Tetris Company thwarted all attempts to sell the book rights to movies and TV shows by denying the Tetris license and intimidating potential customers with letters from the company’s lawyers.
For these reasons, Ackerman seeks compensation of $5 million, or 6% of the film’s budget, estimated at $80 million.