Apple accused of plagiarism by … the author of the book “The Tetris Effect”

The film Tetris released by Apple TV+ this year would be the result of plagiarism, which could cost a small sum to Apple.

Apple got hold of the exceptional story of the creation of Tetris by a Soviet engineer. But if the idea was well seen, it would seem that it originated from a creator outside the Cupertino company, and who would not have been paid.

At the beginning, The Tetris Effect

You know the story of the creation of the game Tetris, by engineer Aleksei Pajitnov? If not, learn that there are several sources to find out how this adventure happened, such as the movie Tetris of Apple TV+, or the book The Tetris Effect by Dan Ackerman. A diversity of sources, which would however have only one origin, namely the book of Ackerman.

Anyway, that’s what he says. He would have sent his manuscript to the Tetris Company in 2016, hoping to be able to work in collaboration with the giant on the subject. However, the reaction of the company was rather the opposite, since it sought to dissuade the adaptation projects of his book, and even sent him a cease and desist order.

$5 million in compensation

An astonishing attitude, which could have its explanation later. Dan Ackerman explains, in fact, in the complaint filed, that from 2017, the CEO of the Tetris Company Maya Rogers and the screenwriter Noah Pink would have ” borrowed freely from many specific sections and events of the book for their own artistic project. The film would be like this similar in almost every way to his book.

As a result, he asks for compensation for what he considers to be plagiarism. More specifically, the writer demands in his complaint to receive 6% of the film’s production budget Tetris ($80 million), or $4.8 million. The two works being based on real events, the justice could have difficulties in distinguishing a possible plagiarism from a restitution of the real story.

Source : Engadget, Reuters