As many as 342 authors weren’t paid correctly for the use of their content by Galaktika, a science fiction magazine based in Budapest.
The Hungarian magazine has had a two-part existence, publishing 175 numbered editions from 1972 to 1995, then reopening as Metropolis Media in 2004 with issue 176. Mary Rasenberger, executive director of the Authors Guild, tells us that the copyright infringements they’re dealing with have occurred in the latest phase of Galaktika’s operation.
Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) has worked closely with the Guild on the case, having been concerned for years that the magazine was reprinting US and UK authors’ stories without their permission. The SFWA grievance committee has represented some of the writers’ claims and now has made further strides with the Guild stepping in—not with actual litigation but with the power of its name and visibility, as well as the threat of litigation. In response, the Guild says, Metropolis Media has been “an open and attentive negotiating partner.”
According to an official statement, the agreement reached between Galaktika, the SFWA, and the Authors Guild “does not settle any author’s particular claims, but sets a benchmark for transparency and gives individual authors leverage in pursuing their claims.” It’s expected that SFWA will be publicizing the list of authors and estates that are owed money and contacting them individually when possible.
While the Guild has asked us not to identify any authors by name, some are extremely well known. And some cases have closed already, which is good news, since it means authors have been compensated.
Bottom line: The amounts of money involved for any one story are actually quite small in the Galaktika case: between $25 and $100. These are the going rates for the magazine and the rates for which settled cases have been closed. We’re glad to see the newly energized Authors Guild, with the strength of its legal services division, collaborating with the SFWA. This puts other bad actors on notice and increases the public exposure of wrongful use of writers’ content. As Rasenberger wrote to us, “We are not releasing any claim until we are satisfied that they have agreed to settle with all concerned authors. We will be keeping track.”
Authors (or their agents) who believe their works have been infringed by Galaktika can contact Katalin Mund with claims at mund.katalin@gmail.com. Authors Guild members can contact staff@authorsguild.com. And SFWA members can contact griefcom@sfwa.com.
Jane Friedman has spent her entire career working in the publishing industry, with a focus on business reporting and author education. Established in 2015, her newsletter The Bottom Line provides nuanced market intelligence to thousands of authors and industry professionals; in 2023, she was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World.
Jane’s expertise regularly features in major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, NPR, The Today Show, Wired, The Guardian, Fox News, and BBC. Her book, The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition (The University of Chicago Press), is used as a classroom text by many writing and publishing degree programs. She reaches thousands through speaking engagements and workshops at diverse venues worldwide, including NYU’s Advanced Publishing Institute, Frankfurt Book Fair, and numerous MFA programs.
