Nikolai Belikov: Elorg Tetris Negotiator Biography
Nikolai Belikov worked for Elektronorgtechnica, the Soviet state-owned enterprise that imported and exported computer software and hardware.
He and his colleagues were the ones to whom foreign publishers turned when they wanted to acquire rights to Tetris.
Besides, Belikov was one of the participants in the game’s complex licensing negotiations in Moscow at the end of the 80s, where Henk Rogers was also present.
Elorg was the one who had the right to license the game because Pajitnov, the creator of Tetris, was an employee of the Soviet state-owned enterprise and was not entitled to sign any agreements on his own.
The Belikov office had to respond to the increasing interest from abroad in distributing the game while also navigating the intricacies of a centrally planned economy.
The Deals Established the Difference Between Computer and Console Games
The deals made during these meetings established the difference between PC versions of the game and the rights to port it on consoles and handhelds, thus determining which companies could distribute it on what platforms.
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Elorg retained its status as a commercial company and continued to own a share in the Tetris trademark, which The Tetris Company purchased in the early 2000s.
Belikov’s approach to licensing negotiations is seen as the most effective way to ensure that the game was not exclusively controlled within the Soviet bloc.
His actions opened the way for Nintendo and other companies to distribute it worldwide, giving it life beyond the borders of one country while also respecting the Soviet authorities’ initial ownership of the trademark.
