Why is Tetris not called Tetris?

As the name implies, Tetris was naturally invented by Russians. The great man's name is Alexei Pazynov.

But few people know that this famous game caused an uproar in the legal field in the 1980s, which is the famous Tetris property right dispute. In this property right dispute, several families are happy and worried, several companies are closed down, and several companies are making money. The right and wrong among them is long to say.

Stealing and carve-up by European and American powers: copyright dispute begins.

Alexei Pakinov, 1985 worked in Moscow Scientific Computer Center in June, and got inspiration by playing jigsaw puzzles, and made a Tetris game based on Electronica 60 (a computer). Later, it was transplanted to a PC by Vadim gerasimov, and spread in the Moscow computer field. Pa Kinov is therefore a minor celebrity.

The PC version of Tetris was transplanted to Apple II and Commodore 64 by a group of local computer experts in Budapest, Hungary. These versions of the software attracted the attention of Robert Stein, the manager of Andromeda, a game company in Britain at that time. He bought the copyright of Tetris from Pakinov and Hungarian computer experts and sold it to Microsoft in Britain before buying the copyright. ) and Spectrum Holobyte in the United States. (What person ...)

1986 1 1 After the negotiation between Stein and Pa Kinov, no results were achieved on the issue of copyright acquisition. Stan even flew directly to Moscow to interview Pa Kinov, but returned empty-handed. Because Russians don't know much about the emerging video game industry in the West, Stan decided to steal the copyright of Tetris, so he released a rumor that it was developed by Hungarians.

At the same time, the PC version of Tetris has been produced by Mirrorsoft in Britain and sold in Europe, which attracted great attention at that time. This game is not only fun, but also "the first game from the iron curtain country." At that time, the game posters had a strong cold war color, such as war pictures, Gagarin space flight and so on. Stan still has no official and legal copyright.

1June, 987, Stein finally obtained the copyright of Tetris on IBM-PC and its compatible computers, including "any other computer system". But he didn't sign an agreement with the Soviet Union, which means the copyright is incomplete. (Translator's Note: The description of this "any other computer system" in the original text is "any other computer system", which was also very loose at that time, thus laying the groundwork for later property rights disputes)

1988 1 Tetris's popularity on the computer platform has caused the situation that "Luoyang paper is expensive" (London disk is expensive) for a period of time. When CBS Evening News interviewed Pa Kinov, the "father of Tetris", Stein's plan to steal copyright was completely ruined. (what a suck! ) A new company, ELORG(Electronorgtechinca, a software company in the Soviet Union), began to negotiate with Stein about the game program. Alexander Alexinko, the head of ELORG, knew that Stein had no copyright, but threatened to interrupt the negotiations with his game development plan as a bargaining chip.

Nintendo was also involved: three people attacked the "man wearing a condom"

1988 May After months of quarreling, the exhausted Stein finally signed the copyright of PC Tetris with ELORG. At that time, the contract prohibited the development of arcade and handheld Tetris games, while the computer version of Tetris became the best-selling game at that time.

1In July, 988, Stein and Alechenko discussed the development of the arcade version of Tetris. Redchenko didn't get a penny of copyright fee from Stein at that time, but at the same time, Spectrum and Mirrorsoft had started to sell Tetris copyright to exterior gateway protocol. Spectrum sold the copyright of Tetris game console and PC in Japan to bulletproof software (FC and GB Tetris manufacturer FC), and Mirrorsoft sold the copyright of Japan and North America to Atari in the United States. So the contradiction between the two companies began. 1988165438+10 In October, Tetris 1 released by BPS on FC was sold in Japan, with a sales volume of 2 million copies.

1988 1 1 With the development of GB, NOA manager Arakawa Shinichi (son-in-law of Nintendo Yamauchi Pu) hopes to make Tetris a game on GB. So he contacted Heng Ke Rogers, the president of the BBC, and when he contacted Stan again, he was rejected. So he went directly to Moscow to buy the copyright. Stan, who realized that he was in the limelight, also flew to Moscow; At the same time, Kevin Maxwell, the son of spectrum director Robert Maxwell, is also going to Moscow. In this way, three people arrived at the Red Snow City almost at the same time.

On February 2 1989, Rogers first met yevgeny Belicov, the representative of Errog (with the same name as the man in the condom). He left a deep impression on Kinov and other Soviets, and signed the copyright of the game. Later, he showed the Russians the FC version of Tetris, which greatly shocked Rykov. Because he didn't grant Rogers the copyright of his home computer! Rogers told them that he bought the copyright from Tianzheng, but Rykov had never heard of Tianzheng's name. In order to ease the embarrassing situation, Rogers told Rykov all the facts that Stein had concealed, and promised to pay more checks to the Soviet Union as the copyright fee for the FC version of Tetris that had been sold. At this time, Rogers found that he had the opportunity to buy the copyright of all Tetris models (but he had not bought them yet). Although Atari will be eyeing him, don't forget that he and BPS are backed by Nintendo.

Note: The original agreement signed by Robert Stein is only the copyright of the computer version of Tetris, and other copyrights are not his.

Later, Stan and Errog re-signed the agreement. Did Rykov force him to re-sign the contract, and the contract was amended to read: "The definition of a computer: a machine including a central processing unit, a monitor, a disk drive, a keyboard and an operating system"? Stan didn't look at these definitions carefully at the time. (It's his turn to be confused ...) Later, he realized that this was a trick for Rogers to take the copyright from himself. But it's too late. The next day, he was told that although the signed document could not be changed in the future, he could still get the development right of the arcade version of Tetris. Three days later, he signed the arcade version of the agreement.

FC copyright resurfaces:

It fully embodies the state's intervention in the economy. 1989 On February 22nd, Kevin Maxwell visited Errog. Didn't Rykov take out the FC game card that Rogers gave him and ask him about it? Maxwell saw the name of Mirrorsoft on the tape and remembered that his company had sold part of the copyright to Atari. Stupid people do stupid things ...) When he wanted to continue talking about street emergencies and the copyright of handheld devices, he found that apart from computers, arcades, home computers and handheld devices, all he could sign was an agreement. (Actually, there is no agreement to sign, unless he invents a new entertainment system, such as Tetris building blocks ...) In the chaos, this guy had a brainwave and told Rykov that the tape was pirated (Khan ...), and then he had to sign a host agreement. The final result: Kevin Maxwell only took a blank sheet of paper, and Robert Stein took the arcade agreement. Because Maxwell claimed that all FC cards were pirated, Errog kept the copyright of the home computer and didn't sell it to anyone. If Maxwell wants to get the copyright of the home computer, he must bid higher than Nintendo. Heng Ke Rogers bought the copyright of the PDA and informed Arakawa. BPS made a deal with Nintendo to produce a GB version of Tetris: the transaction amount was $5 million-10/00000.

GB version Tetris

GB Tetris1989 March 15 Heng Ke Rogers returned to Moscow, and paid a huge sum of money on behalf of Nintendo to acquire the copyright of the PC version of Tetris. Although the price of copyright fee has not been disclosed, this figure Mirrorsoft will never know. Even Arakawa and NOA CEO Howard Lincoln personally went to the Soviet Union to help.

1989 On March 22nd, the agreement between ELORG and Nintendo was finally reached. Nintendo insisted on adding that after the signing of the agreement, if there is a legal dispute with others, the Soviet Union must send someone to testify in the American court. In fact, this kind of legal dispute will be inevitable. It is said that Errog only got a deposit of $3-5 million. Didn't Rykov inform Mirrorsoft that Mirrorsoft, Andromeda and Tengen don't own the copyright of home computers, and now all the copyrights belong to Nintendo? That night, Nintendo and BPS leaders held a celebration party in Moscow Hotel.

You see, the copyrights of home computers and handhelds have been held by Nintendo and BPS respectively. Neither Atari nor Tianzheng has the right to make FC version of Tetris. )

1989 March 3 1 Howard Lincoln happy (gloating? ) Send an ultimatum (fax) to Atari, telling them to stop the FC(NES) version of Tetris immediately. This made Atari and Maxwell very angry. In the name of Tiangen, they wrote back that they had enjoyed the copyright of Tetris, a home computer, on April 7.

1April 3, 989, Tianzheng wrote an application for the copyright of Tetris "audio-visual works, source programs and game music". However, the application did not mention the copyrights of Alexei Pakinov and Nintendo. Ignoring Alexei PaKinov is a big mistake! )

At the same time, Maxwell used his media power to try to regain the status of Tetris. Even moved out of the Soviet Union and the British government to intervene in Tetris copyright issues. What a big face! ) The result provoked Sue * * * (! ) and Errog. Even Gorbachev assured Maxwell that "there is no need to worry about Japanese companies in the future." (Khan ... this Maxwell is really not a good host ... the great Soviet government pays attention to Tetris ...) In late April, when Howard Lincoln returned to Moscow, he found that Errog had been unable to lift his head under the pressure of the Soviet government, and in the middle of that night, NOA called him and said that Nintendo had been sued. (Future events cast a shadow in front of them ...)

The next day, he met with Rykov, PaKinov and several other members of Errog to ensure that they could support Nintendo's lawsuit. NOA immediately counterclaimed Tianzheng and began to collect evidence.

Is FC a computer or a home computer? Nintendo won a total victory.

1On May 7th, 989, a large Tertis advertisement was published in USA-Today, although a court battle was imminent.

From June 65438 to June 0989, the case of Tianzheng and Nintendo finally opened. This debate mainly revolves around a topic: Is NES(FC) a computer or an electronic game machine? Don't laugh, this is a serious topic in court. ) Atari thinks NES is a computer system because it has extended functions, and Famicom in Japan also has network functions. Nintendo's evidence is even more relevant: the Soviets of Errog never intended to sell the copyright of Tetris home computer, and mentioned the so-called "computer" concept in the agreement with Stein.

1On June 5th, 989, the court held a hearing to hear Nintendo and Tianzheng ordering each other to stop making and selling their Tetris software. Judge Fern Smith declared that neither Mirrorsoft nor Spectrum Holobyte owned the copyright of home computers, so the rights they provided to Tengen could not take effect. Nintendo's request was finally approved.

On June 2 1, 65438,989, all Tetris versions of Tengen were taken off the shelves, and the production of game cassettes was forced to stop. Thousands of copies of software are put in boxes and sealed in warehouses.

1July, 989, Nintendo NES Tetris was released in the United States. Sales in the United States are around 3 million. At the same time, Game Boy bound with GB version of Tetris swept across the United States, and a whirlwind of diamonds was blown up on American soil.

The scuffle about Tetris has come to an end. The court dispute between Nintendo and Tianzheng continued until 1993.

Conclusion: crazy money, something for nothing? ! Fortunately, the player was not hurt.

Finally, Atari Games developed an arcade version of Tetris, which sold about 20,000 units. Atari Game Company was recently acquired by Williams /WMS Company, but the fate of NES Tetris stored in the warehouse is unknown. Tianzheng can't get rid of them in other ways, so it is estimated that these softwares have been destroyed. However, it is said that there are still about 654.38 million copies of Tianzheng Tetris entering the market.

The so-called Tetris 2 in the D version of the 64-in-1 1 game we are playing today is actually the genuine version of that year. To be fair, this version of the box is much more fun than the BPS version. First of all, this version of the sense of operation and key settings are in place, AB is forward rotation and reverse rotation respectively, while BPS version uses cross keys to rotate and only supports one direction. Pressing a will directly fall, and I feel very uncomfortable. Secondly, the mode of computer two-person battle, competition and cooperation it supports is also refreshing. Besides, there is nothing to say about music.

Robert Stein, the initiator of this copyright issue, earned only $250,000 in Tetris. He could have made more money, but Atari and Mirrorsoft didn't pay him enough royalties. (Serves you right ...) Spectrum HoloByte needs to renegotiate with ELORG to guarantee the copyright of Tetris computer edition.

Robert Maxwell's media fortress gradually fell apart in the melee, and the fact that old Maxwell was behind the scenes in the business world was also under investigation, but he suddenly died of a sudden illness. (Damn ...) Mirrorsoft UK company also withdrew from the historical stage.

The real big winners are Heng Ke Rogers, president of BPS, and Nintendo behind the scenes. How much did Tetris make for Nintendo? I am afraid the answer will never be clear. Think about it. In the United States, GB is bundled with Tetris to increase the shipment of GB ... and then people who buy GB because of Tetris will buy other GB cards ... If you count this, the profit will snowball. At present, the GB version (Z version) of Tetris has produced 30 million copies. (Later, GB Tetris reappeared on the SFC and appeared on the screen together with Dr. Mario, becoming an immortal work. )

As for the Soviet Union, no one benefited much from Tetris except the Soviet government. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the former Errog personnel were scattered all over the country and even around the world, and many people continued to develop games (such as PaKinov).

Alexei PaKinov hardly made a penny from Tetris. Errog originally intended to give him the right to sell Tetris, but then canceled the deal. However, Pa Kinov is gratified that he can make such a world-famous excellent game. He got a 286 (a great computer in the Soviet Union at that time) as an award from the Academy of Sciences. I was assigned to a more spacious and brighter house than my colleague's. 1996, Heng Ke Rogers paid him (a kind person), and PaKinov founded Tetris LLC. Finally, he was able to create his own games and collect copyright fees.

Note: Tetris is popular in every corner of the world. An entertainment tool invented by a man who once had nothing to do to eat the same pot has become a treasure for the benefit of all mankind, and its value far exceeds the expectation when developing this software. Atari suffered a crushing defeat in court, but thanks to the piracy in Asia, genuine Tetris has taken root in the hearts of China players, and Nintendo's orthodox Tetris is no longer played in China. In fact, having said so much, in the final analysis, plain is true. If there is an opportunity, download an FC simulator and a 64-in-1 1 classic ROM, and go home and experience the charm of Tetris. ...