Lawyers love to hear good legal war stories. Games industry folks love to hear how a deal was put together. Well, I just heard such a good little one that I had to share it with you. The DICE conference over in Las Vegas just had a wonderful session of Alexey Pajitnov (inventor of Tetris) and Henk Rogers (his longtime business partner) interviewing each other about the history of Tetris and their partnership together (it was broadcast on Twitch).
Anyway, when I tuned in Rogers was in the middle of explaining how he came to meet Pajitnov for the first time (btw, in case you don’t know who these legends are, here’s an explanation of the history of the Tetris legal saga which I wrote in 2010!): Rogers had flown to (then still Soviet) Russia to try to get a licence from Pajitnov’s organisation for rights to distribute Tetris on Gameboy. He *had* to get the licence on that trip or be ruined financially, since he already had the Gameboy version in production! The Russians wanted to play for time. So – and at this stage I’m now paraphrasing what Rogers was saying on Twitch as closely as I can remember – Rogers played hardball, throwing at the Russians as much legalese as he could think of or make up, including telling them that after a period of time his offer would automatically become “null and void” (nice).
Then, once he thinks he’s making progress, he makes a long distance call to his lawyer in Japan. It takes 8 hours to connect to his lawyer and, once he gets through, he gives the lawyer a fax number and tells him to send over a contract of no more than 20 pages, which has to give Rogers every right he could need to license Tetris from the Russians, can’t have long words (because Rogers needs to be able to explain every word of it to the Russians) and it has to be fair to both sides because there won’t be a second shot at this. Then, says Rogers, 24 hours later his lawyer sends over “the best contract I ever read in the industry”. At this point, Pajitnov nods sagely and adds “it was”.
What a story. I’m sure it ended up being somewhat more complicated but, still, whoever Henk Rogers’ lawyer was, I salute you!
Thanks a lot for providing individuals with a very superb opportunity to discover important secrets from this website. It really is very brilliant and also packed with amusement for me personally and my office co-workers to visit your web site not less than 3 times weekly to find out the new tips you have. And lastly, we are certainly amazed considering the perfect points you serve. Certain two points in this posting are undoubtedly the most efficient we have had.
I needed to post you one bit of observation in order to thank you yet again for these striking solutions you have documented above. It has been quite particularly open-handed of people like you to deliver openly exactly what a few people could have marketed as an electronic book in making some money for themselves, even more so now that you might have tried it if you desired. Those suggestions also worked to become great way to fully grasp that someone else have similar passion the same as mine to learn a great deal more on the topic of this matter. I am certain there are some more enjoyable moments up front for people who see your blog post.
I simply desired to appreciate you again. I’m not certain the things that I might have handled in the absence of the actual points provided by you regarding such a question. Entirely was a frightful circumstance in my view, however , seeing a new skilled way you dealt with that took me to leap with gladness. I’m just grateful for this work and then believe you realize what a great job you were doing training the rest via your web page. More than likely you’ve never got to know any of us.
I precisely wanted to appreciate you once more. I do not know what I could possibly have carried out in the absence of those creative ideas contributed by you regarding such situation. It had become the hard situation in my circumstances, but finding out your skilled style you managed it took me to cry for joy. Now i’m thankful for this advice and sincerely hope you recognize what a powerful job you are putting in educating many people through your blog post. Most probably you have never got to know all of us.
My spouse and i were absolutely fortunate when Chris could finish off his investigations through the ideas he made out of the web site. It is now and again perplexing to just choose to be giving out guides which often many people have been making money from. We really take into account we’ve got you to give thanks to for that. All of the illustrations you made, the straightforward site menu, the relationships you will give support to engender – it’s got most awesome, and it’s aiding our son in addition to us reason why the article is exciting, which is tremendously serious. Many thanks for all the pieces!
I in addition to my pals have already been taking note of the great points on your site and quickly developed an awful suspicion I never expressed respect to the website owner for those tips. Those women were consequently joyful to study them and have in effect in fact been using those things. Thank you for being so thoughtful as well as for selecting these kinds of really good themes most people are really needing to discover. Our honest regret for not expressing gratitude to you sooner.
I simply desired to thank you so much again. I’m not certain what I would have implemented in the absence of the tips and hints discussed by you directly on such a theme. It absolutely was a very traumatic setting for me personally, nevertheless coming across your specialised approach you managed the issue made me to cry with fulfillment. Now i’m grateful for your service and even believe you find out what a powerful job that you are undertaking instructing some other people all through your blog post. I’m certain you have never encountered any of us.
My husband and i got so fortunate when Edward managed to finish off his homework with the ideas he got from your very own web page. It’s not at all simplistic to simply continually be giving out guidance which often men and women could have been selling. We know we have the writer to be grateful to for that. These explanations you’ve made, the easy blog navigation, the friendships you can make it possible to engender – it’s mostly impressive, and it’s aiding our son in addition to our family consider that that matter is amusing, and that’s particularly pressing. Thanks for all!
I needed to send you that very little word so as to give many thanks again for your lovely knowledge you’ve documented here. This is really extremely generous with people like you giving freely precisely what many of us would have advertised as an e-book to generate some dough for themselves, precisely considering that you could have done it in case you wanted. Those basics likewise worked like a great way to recognize that someone else have the identical keenness similar to my personal own to learn more with respect to this condition. I know there are some more enjoyable times in the future for those who look over your website.
Thank you for all of the labor on this web page. My mum enjoys setting aside time for investigations and it’s really obvious why. Almost all hear all about the lively ways you convey worthwhile tips and tricks by means of the web blog and as well as attract participation from other individuals about this area of interest while our favorite daughter is truly discovering so much. Take pleasure in the rest of the year. You have been doing a useful job.
Thanks so much for giving everyone an extraordinarily pleasant opportunity to read critical reviews from this site. It really is so pleasing and as well , packed with a good time for me personally and my office mates to search the blog no less than three times every week to read through the new guidance you have got. Not to mention, we are usually contented considering the good creative ideas you give. Selected two tips on this page are indeed the most efficient I have had.
My husband and i got fortunate when Chris could round up his web research from your ideas he made when using the weblog. It is now and again perplexing to just possibly be giving for free tricks that many many others could have been selling. And now we consider we’ve got the website owner to give thanks to for this. The entire explanations you’ve made, the simple website navigation, the relationships you can help to promote – it’s all overwhelming, and it’s really assisting our son in addition to our family reason why this idea is pleasurable, which is certainly seriously serious. Thank you for everything!
I must express my thanks to the writer for bailing me out of this type of matter. As a result of surfing around through the online world and finding tips which were not beneficial, I thought my entire life was gone. Living devoid of the strategies to the issues you have solved by way of the review is a critical case, as well as those which could have adversely affected my entire career if I had not noticed the website. Your primary knowledge and kindness in playing with the whole thing was vital. I am not sure what I would’ve done if I hadn’t encountered such a subject like this. I am able to at this time look forward to my future. Thank you very much for the skilled and amazing guide. I won’t be reluctant to recommend your blog post to anybody who should receive guide on this issue.