The authors Mari Jungstedt and Ruben Eliasson began writing the so-called Gran Canaria series together, when they were together from 2012-2015. In 2013, they entered into an agreement with Bonniers regarding the first two books in the series, which gave the publisher exclusive rights to the works in book form in Swedish.
The collaboration was interrupted before the second book was completed, whereupon Mari Jungstedt finished it. Jungstedt was later sued by Eliasson, who claimed that she did not have the right to use his texts in the book.
Eliasson won the dispute in the Patent and Market Court of Appeal, but now the Supreme Court is making a different assessment.
"In the assessment of the current case, the Supreme Court concludes that the contractual interpretation leads to the conclusion that no copyright infringement has occurred, which means that the damages claim and other claims are dismissed", writes the Supreme Court on its website.
Ruben Eliasson is sentenced to pay the trial costs and attorney's fees for Bonnier Publishing, amounting to over one million kronor plus interest.
