The well-known children's writer Eduard Uspensky negatively perceived the news that the Soyuzmultfilm studio has released new series of adventures about the inhabitants of the village of Prostokvashino. For several months, the parties could not agree on who owns the rights to their favorite characters. As a result, Ouspensky turned to the Investigative Committee and the Prosecutor General's Office.
In mid-2017, it became known that the Soyuzmultfilm studio would restart the popular Soviet animated films Parrot Kesha, Kitten named Woof and Prostokvashino. Regarding the rights to the last scenario, including the use of characters, a scandal erupted between the film studio and the author of books about the adventures of Uncle Fedor, the cat Matroskin and the dog Sharik, Eduard Uspensky.
Soyuzmultfilm offered the author of books about the village of Prostokvashino and its inhabitants more than five million rubles. Moreover, it was not about the complete redemption of copyrights, but about the use of only a part of creativity. For the first time, representatives of the film studio met personally with Uspensky, two more meetings were held with his lawyers and official representatives. The management of Soyuzmultfilm called the offer of a substantial fee "a gesture of goodwill and great respect for the writer and his works." Eduard Nikolayevich himself wrote personally to Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying that the film studio had already begun work on new episodes of the cartoon, without waiting for the author's consent.
Reaction to the first episodes
The inhabitants of the former USSR were looking forward to the first series of new adventures of the inhabitants of the village of Prostokvashino, because they had to meet again with the characters that they loved from childhood. Kota Matroskin was voiced by Oleg Tabakov's son Anton, trying to preserve his father's intonations familiar to millions as much as possible. The voice was given to Sharik by Garik Sukachev, and to the postman Pechkin by Ivan Okhlobystin.
The premiere of the sequel "Prostokvashino" took place on April 3, 2018. Eduard Uspensky notified Soyuzmultfilm that he intends to go to court in connection with the violation of his copyright. The writer was outraged that he was not even notified that the first episode had already been presented to the audience. Eduard Nikolaevich denied information about a personal meeting with representatives of Soyuzmultfilm and the offer of money to him for Prostokvashino.
After the well-known children's chairman threatened the film studio with a court, Soyuzmultfilm said that it has all the legal documents allowing the use of fragments of the book and characters for their own purposes. Legal negotiations began on both sides.
Eduard Nikolaevich did not watch the first episodes of the new Prostokvashino. In 2011, he was given a terrible diagnosis. For many years, the writer struggled with stomach cancer, and then with prostate cancer, there was no hope of recovery. Journalists from one of the TV channels came to visit Uspensky and showed him new episodes. The video clearly shows that it is physically difficult for a writer sitting in a wheelchair to answer questions and observe footage on a laptop screen. From all that was said, the journalists left a few phrases they needed, and the rest was mercilessly cut out.
Appeal to the Investigative Committee
At the end of April 2018, Eduard Uspensky sent an appeal to the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, the General Prosecutor's Office and the Accounts Chamber, where he asked to "take action" against the Soyuzmultfilm studio. The writer confirmed that he did not sign any contracts and did not agree to use his works to create new animated films. He also appealed to the actors who voiced the characters, urging them to abandon further work on the project.
"Soyuzmultfilm" continues to insist on the legitimacy of its actions, claiming that it owns legal documents with copyright for the "prostokvashinsky" plot and characters. According to them, the scandal erupted solely because of the writer's greed. Allegedly, Ouspensky was not satisfied with the amount of compensation offered to him and he announced an amount disproportionately large, equal to the annual budget of the entire film studio.
The final
For several months Soyuzmultfilm and Eduard Uspensky could not come to an agreement. Each defended his point of view and was not going to retreat. In early August, the story came to an end.
The writer agreed with all the proposals of the Soyuzmultfilm studio and signed documents granting the rights to use the original lines of development of the plot and characters of ten previously not filmed stories from the books of Prostokvashino. The film studio also received licenses for trademarks with the names and images of Matroskin, Sharik, Uncle Fedor, Pechkin and other heroes. Eduard Nikolaevich was supposed to receive a certain remuneration from licenses.
Yuliana Slashcheva, chairman of the board of the Soyuzmultfilm studio, said that she was quite satisfied with the results of the negotiations and the concluded agreement. She clarified that the conflict has been settled and “constructive cooperation” has begun. According to the head of the studio, negotiations have begun with Eduard Uspensky about the adaptation of his other works.
Perhaps, in the coming years, viewers would see new cartoons about the adventures of Gena the Crocodile and Cheburashka, the girl Vera and her monkey Anfisa and other beloved heroes from childhood. But the writer was unable to overcome the disease. After another complicated course of chemotherapy abroad, Uspensky returned to Moscow. On August 9, 2018, he lost his creation, and when he regained consciousness, he refused hospitalization. Eduard Nikolaevich died on August 14, 2018 at his home in the village of Puchkovo in the Troitsky Administrative District of Moscow. The author of the children's books loved by millions was buried at the Troekurovsky cemetery.
