More Drama as Spectrum Vega+ Indiegogo Funding Pulled

The long-running saga of the ZX Spectrum Vega+ Handheld is continuing, with Indiegogo themselves now getting involved and pulling the system's source of new funding. The campaign hit its target well over a year ago now, but the Indiegogo campaign was still open until a few days ago. According to a report from the BBC, this was because the crowd-funding website had pulled the campaign after backers reported not receiving their consoles, despite multiple shipping dates. 

Retro Computers Limited, creators of the system, have now released a statement in which they explain the delays as they saw them. There has been an ongoing legal dispute between them and Cornerstone Media for a while now, but they advised this has now been settled in the courts, by adding liability to the firm's former CEO.

"Retro and Cornerstone entered into a sales agreement on May 3rd 2015 which related to Retro’s product, the Sinclair ZX Spectrum Vega games console. Retro terminated the agreement on May 9th 2016 for breaches of that agreement. Retro then commenced proceedings against Cornerstone on July 27th 2016 in the Chancery Division of the High Court. On August 18th 2016 Chief Master Marsh made an Order that Mr Cooper, as the sole Director of Cornerstone was to file and serve within 7 days of the date of service of the Order an account of all sales of the Vega. That Order was served on Mr Cooper on August 23rd 2016. Mr Cooper failed to comply with that Order and with three subsequent Court Orders, and on January 31st 2017 Mr Cooper put Cornerstone into liquidation.

At a hearing at Central London County Court on March 2nd 2017 District Judge Lightman Ordered that, inter alia :

1.Mr Cooper be added to Retro’s claim as a Second Defendant.

2.Mr Cooper shall pay the costs of the Claim to date, such to be subject to a Detailed Assessment, if not agreed on an indemnity basis.

3.Mr Cooper shall pay the sum of £10,000 as an interim payment in respect of the said costs liability.

4.Mr Cooper shall pay the costs of the hearing of January 6th 2017 which the Court summarily assessed in the sum of £20,000.

5.Mr Cooper shall pay the costs of Retro’s Application heard on March 2nd 2017 which are summarily assessed in the sum of £12,444.

By adding Mr Cooper as a second defendant the learned Judge made Mr Cooper personally liable. As well as the legal costs indicated above Mr Cooper’s personal liability, as stated in the liquidator’s “Report to the Creditors” on January 31st 2017, is an additional £109,725."

Of course, if you're anything like us here at GameGrin, you don't care about the legal implications, you just want to play some classic 8-bit games. If the latest statement from Lee Fogarty is anything to go by, there might not be much longer to wait. He's advised the company, despite having had a number of delays and very public disputes, "expect to make the first shipment of Vega+ units a few weeks from now". This isn't the first time that such an announcement has been made, but here's hoping it's the last...