Tuesday's Theory: The Controversy Over the Legal Administration of Stieg Larsson's Literary Property

Tuesday's Theory is very simple.  Execute a valid will to make your wishes known.  Without a will, you very well may leave your loved ones in heated conflict and controversy.  In Stieg Larsson's case, the controversy over the legal administration of his literary property is one of momentous proportions taking place on an international stage.  Apparently, after spending approximately 32 years with Eva Gabrielsson, Larsson made no valid legal provisions for her in the event of his death (according to one source, Larsson did execute a will, but it is not valid under Swedish law).  According to www.stieglarsson.com, Swedish law does not recognize common law marriages and Larsson's estate was inherited by his father and brother rather than his girlfriend of 32 years.  Currently, Gabrielsson and Larsson's relatives are disputing not only the administration of Larsson's estate but also the publication of a partly finished fourth manuscript in the Millennium Series.  Apparently, Gabrielsson possesses the script as it is stored on the laptop computer the couple shared.  Whether the world will ever know what adventures Lisbeth Salander would encounter in the fourth book is a mystery.  Perhaps the publication of the manuscript was just not meant to be.  The sad reality is that Larsson's wishes are also unknown and what he intended may never be realized.

It should be noted that the official website for Stieg Larsson maintained by Random House is http://stieglarsson.net