Bestselling Writer Must Pay $13.9 Million in Legal Fees

An LA Superior Court judge has ordered novelist Clive Cussler to pay $13.9 million in legal fees in a court battle Cussler initiated after the adaptation of his novel, Sahara.

Following the adaptation (and ultimate box-office crash) of “Sahara,” the author sued Crusader Entertainment in 2004–alleging that the company neglected to give him the last word on the script. According to Entertainment Weekly, the company counter-sued, alleging that the author had misled them about the popularity of his books. A jury ruled in Crusader Entertainment’s favor in 2007.

Here’s Cussler’s recent biography from his website: “Cussler enjoys discovering and collecting things of historical significance. With NUMA (National Underwater & Marine Agency, a non profit group begun by Cussler) he has had an amazing record of finding over 60 shipwrecks, one of which was the long-lost Confederate submarine Hunley.” (Via MobyLives)

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