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Sapkowski (author of The Witcher universe) wants ~16 million USD from CD Projekt

Potterson

Potterson

Member
Oct 28, 2017
6,448
Source: https://www.cdprojekt.com/en/investors/regulatory-announcements/current-report-no-15-2018/

The numbers are in the documents linked below, that are in Polish, unfortunately. Basically, maybe you've heard, Sapkowski made a deal back in the day with CDP - he just sold them rights to The Witcher and wanted all the money right away.

He did not wanted any percentage of profits.

Right now his laywers write that basically the original deal was only about the FIRST game and that the overall franchise is worth so much that the money Sapkowski got in the past (we don't know how much that was, but I assume less than quarter of million USD).

They want 60 million PLN which is about 16 million USD.
 
Euler

Euler

Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,854
Sucks for him, I get that he regrets it.

Hindsight is 20/20, but it's his own fault.
 
Kolx

Kolx

Member
Oct 25, 2017
8,505
Hard to say when we can't actually look at the contract, but coming now after all these years to ask for this makes me feel like he wants to get some free cash he doesn't deserve.
 
Bedameister

Bedameister

Member
Oct 26, 2017
5,944
Germany
He's really mad he made that deal. But he only has to blame himself. Neither him nor CD expected this thing to become this huge. I think this law-suit is stupid.
He actually should be happy the games were so successful. I'm sure his book sales sky-rocketed because of it and he will get a good pay from the TV series.
Just live with it.
 
Alienous

Alienous

Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,622
I wonder what that contract looks like. I was surprised CD Projekt could loan Geralt out to Soul Calibur V - I wonder if being able to transfer the rights between game companies was communicated to him during the original negotiations.
 
BigTnaples

BigTnaples

Member
Oct 30, 2017
1,752
Eh. Love his books, but he's been such a dismissive dick about the effort and success that CDPR put in and got out of The Witcher that I kinda hope he does not get the money.
 
Killyoh

Killyoh

Member
Oct 28, 2017
1,097
Paris, France
He sold the license for only 9,500$ so I can understand he's trying to get the money he deserves but yeah he made a really bad deal.
 
Sir Hound

Sir Hound

Member
Oct 28, 2017
2,211
He's never really had a kind word to say about them, and his arrogance and disdain of video games is what led him to make such a shitty deal in the first place.

Unlucky.
 
duckroll

duckroll

Member
Oct 25, 2017
11,335
Singapore
If I lucked out and made a really good licensing deal for a franchise I really admired and wanted to adapt it to something else, and if it then became really successful and the original creator later regretted lowballing the original deal, I would have no problems giving him more money to share the success even if he isn't entitled to it. But that's just me.
 
Bonejack

Bonejack

Member
Oct 27, 2017
16,654
Uff ... dunno, if the contract really is about the full rights and doesn't have anything in it that might render it non-binding, i can't see him having a shot at getting profit percentages retroactively.
 
adrem007

adrem007

Banned
Nov 26, 2017
2,679
duckroll said:
If I lucked out and made a really good licensing deal for a franchise I really admired and wanted to adapt it to something else, and if it then became really successful and the original creator later regretted lowballing the original deal, I would have no problems giving him more money to share the success even if he isn't entitled to it. But that's just me.
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Fuck that, Sapkowski hates the games and doesn't give a shit about the franchise, he only wants the money. And it's not some ''sharing success'' feel good stuff, the dude wants literally millions of dollars
 
Edgar

Edgar

User requested ban
Banned
Oct 29, 2017
7,180
duckroll said:
If I lucked out and made a really good licensing deal for a franchise I really admired and wanted to adapt it to something else, and if it then became really successful and the original creator later regretted lowballing the original deal, I would have no problems giving him more money to share the success even if he isn't entitled to it. But that's just me.
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I believe you
 
Cameron122

Cameron122

Rescued from SR388
Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,289
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duckroll said:
If I lucked out and made a really good licensing deal for a franchise I really admired and wanted to adapt it to something else, and if it then became really successful and the original creator later regretted lowballing the original deal, I would have no problems giving him more money to share the success even if he isn't entitled to it. But that's just me.
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This is where I'm at too, I feel like he deserves some more money. It's his lore, he made a bad business deal yea but not everything should be about cut throat markets.
 
TheCthultist

TheCthultist

Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,452
New York
Best of luck to him, as I love his work... But yeah, that ain't happening. Gotta be careful what deals you decline... plus the fact that he badmouths CD Project every chance he gets doesn't exactly give me a lot of sympathy for him in this case in particular...
 
Arsene no Kiseki

Arsene no Kiseki

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,994
Canada
I'd be more sympathetic, but his arrogance towards video games caused this. Its 100% his fault for getting greedy and using the deal as a quick payday.
 
Odesu

Odesu

Member
Oct 26, 2017
5,558
duckroll said:
If I lucked out and made a really good licensing deal for a franchise I really admired and wanted to adapt it to something else, and if it then became really successful and the original creator later regretted lowballing the original deal, I would have no problems giving him more money to share the success even if he isn't entitled to it. But that's just me.
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Yeah, I'm with you.
 
MadMod

MadMod

Member
Dec 4, 2017
2,814
I get that he wants royalties for this, but he was ignorant about gaming. Should actually research what you're signing before signing. Unlucky man, but its totally his own fault.
 
TechnicPuppet

TechnicPuppet

Member
Oct 28, 2017
10,859
I could be wrong but will be not be making money from the TV show. That would not have happened without the game.
 
duckroll

duckroll

Member
Oct 25, 2017
11,335
Singapore
adrem007 said:
Fuck that, Sapkowski hates the games and doesn't give a shit about the franchise, he only wants the money. And it's not some ''sharing success'' feel good stuff, the dude wants literally millions of dollars
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To me it's not about whether the author likes my work or not, but rather whether I like the author's work. In the end it's just money. Witcher 3 alone sold over 10 million copies. What's millions of dollars? Like I said, he's not entitled to it at all, so legally I doubt the suit would go well. I'm just saying in the same position I would just pay.
 
00lsen

00lsen

Banned
Nov 8, 2017
234
I'm from the same city as Sapkowski. He always had a reputation of an arrogant asshole, books are great, but the man is terrible. High horse and stuff like that
 
Last_colossi

Last_colossi

The Fallen
Oct 27, 2017
4,261
Australia
I mean he deserves it but at the same time it was because of his disbelief in the company in the first place that he sold them the rights for so little... Legally I feel this has no grounds but CDP are good guys and I think they'll do the right thing.
 
CrazyAndy

CrazyAndy

Self-requested ban
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
4,071
He fucked up. He doesn't deserve it but CD Project could still give him a decent sum. Not 16 million though...
 
Cascadero

Cascadero

Member
Nov 8, 2017
1,527
Let them fight... Hopefully they come to a fair settlement. Maybe make CD projekt promise to produce another full scale Witcher game in return for better royalties? (Wishful thinking)
 
Kida

Kida

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,901
It would be nice if CDPR gave him a nice settlement just because they got the rights for such a stupidly low figure. I very much doubt he has any chance of actually winning in court though.
 
deftones r cool

deftones r cool

Member
Oct 28, 2017
5,050
Didn't Sapkowski also get mad at the Netflix people and cut ties with them also due to creative differences? Sounds like dude keeps signing deals and crying about them afterwards
 
GhostTrick

GhostTrick

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Oct 25, 2017
11,408
BigTnaples said:
Eh. Love his books, but he's been such a dismissive dick about the effort and success that CDPR put in and got out of The Witcher that I kinda hope he does not get the money.
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Imagine creating something and in the eyes of the world, when someone talk about your creation, the first name that comes to mind isnt yours but the people who you've sold your rights years ago for nothing ?
 
ZeroX

ZeroX

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
21,266
Speed Force
He's doing it for a settlement that'll be much less, and they'll probably do it to save time and potentially money. Just get him to sign an NDA so he can't keep running his mouth.
 
elenarie

elenarie

Game Developer
Verified
Jun 10, 2018
9,945
duckroll said:
If I lucked out and made a really good licensing deal for a franchise I really admired and wanted to adapt it to something else, and if it then became really successful and the original creator later regretted lowballing the original deal, I would have no problems giving him more money to share the success even if he isn't entitled to it. But that's just me.
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Good luck trying to justify a 16 million $ expense after the deal had already been done.
 
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