Lawsuits are always messy and, more often than not, both parties will be at each others’ throats. Then again, there comes a point in time when one side budges (or maybe even both) and things are resolved amicably. At least that’s what seems to be brewing between CD Projekt Red and Andrzej Sapkowski. The Polish author is known for penning The Witcher series of novels, something which CDPR obtained the rights to for a paltry sum of $10,000 decades ago. Since then, The Witcher franchise has earned millions, making CDPR a household name. It even has a Netflix special coming soon.
That has led Sapkowski to demand additional compensation outside of the original sum that was given. The amount? $16 million! Naturally, CD Projekt Red did not budge, leading to Sapkowski’s lawsuit.
Books And Barristers
When we last heard of Sapkowski’s troubles with CDPR, it came in the form of harsh criticism from none other than Dmitry Glukhovsky, author of the Metro 2033 series of novels. The younger writer slammed Sapkowski’s actions, calling him “an old fool.” To Glukhovsky, it seemed as though the Polish author was being ungrateful knowing that his novels would not even find a wider audience had it not been for the success of CDPR’s games.
Legal wranglings between CDPR and Sapkowski continued. Well, at least until earlier today when the two sides reportedly came to a settlement.
According to Polish website Puls Biznesu, it seems the two sides are reportedly closer to reconciling their differences and coming to an agreement. The report also notes that CD Projekt Red may have settled and will be providing Sapkowski with additional compensation. The amount wasn’t disclosed, although it should be less than the $16 million that the author originally asked for.
In any case, much like any other book, it seems the chapter is finally closing on this story. We can only hope that the two sides mend their working relationship for the betterment of The Witcher franchise overall.
