If we let this stand, it could set precedent to fundamentally alter the way copyright and contracts operate in the United States. In other words, they believe they have the right to publish work, but are not obligated to pay the writer no matter what the contract says.

DisneyвЂ™s argument is that they have purchased the rights but not the obligations of the contract. The larger problem has the potential to affect every writer. The simple problem is that we have a writer who is not being paid. вЂњIn my decade with the organization, the fact that we are forced to present this publicly is unprecedented. SFWAвЂ™s President, Mary Robinette Kowal, released a statement saying, The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America association is raising awareness on the issue with the hashtag #DisneyMustPay. IвЂ™d very much like my miniscule (though itвЂ™s not small to me) share.вЂќ YouвЂ™re certainly reaping the benefits of the assets. When one company buys another, they acquire its liabilities as well as its assets. In an open letter to Disney, Foster wrote, вЂњAll these books are all still very much in print. And heвЂ™s not alone: Donald Glut, who novelized The Empire Strikes Back, and James Kahn, who wrote the book for Return of the Jedi, have both claimed they were missing royalty checks as well. They donвЂ™t want to pay the mortgage,вЂќ he said succintly. вЂњDisney has acquired a house with a mortgage on it. If that sounds ridiculous to you, imagine how it must sound to Foster. His lawyer contacted Disney, where he was told that while the company acquired the rights to the books, they were not beholden to any royalties. He only discovered the lack of royalty checks after the Disney-Fox merger in 2019, when he abruptly stopped receiving royalties for the three Alien novels he penned. I donвЂ™t even have a name that starts with Steve,вЂќ Foster said. Foster, a notable name among fans the world over, is now in his mid-70s, and doesnвЂ™t understand why a multi-billion dollar corporation like Disney is bilking him out of a few thousand dollars.

In his original contract with George Lucas in the 1970s, Foster was paid $7,500 upfront, with a 0.5% royalty on sales that have since earned him that original fee several times over.

One such novelist is Alan Dean Foster, who wrote the original novelization of Star Wars: A New Hope and has penned countless Star Wars novelizations since. But as Disney rakes in billions in Star Wars revenue, they refuse to pay royalties on the franchiseвЂ™s novelizations.ДЄccording to the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America association, Star Wars novelists have been shut off from royalties, as have fellow novelists for 20th Century FoxвЂ™s library, which include books set in the worlds of Alien and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, among others. In short order, Disney churned out a new trilogy, standalone films, a hit series, a theme park and more, all in service of the world of Star Wars. When the Walt Disney Company spent $4 billion to acquire Lucasfilm in 2012, they were amassing a galaxyвЂ™s worth of characters, sagas, and intellectual property.

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