Eva Gabrielsson refuses Larsson family offer

Stieg Larsson's partner Eva Gabrielsson has said she "flatly refused" an offer from Larsson's brother and father aimed at settling their inheritance dispute. Larsson's brother and father announced that talks had broken down with her after they made her a "customised" offer in his literary estate.

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Gabrielsson said she turned down the 20 million kronor offer and a board seat in the company that manages the Millennium books.

"I have insisted on getting to determine the rights to the works," Gabrielsson told news agency TT Spektra. "I want to determine which agents are used and approve how the works are used and if any changes are made in them."

Larsson died suddenly of a heart attack at age 50 in 2004 before his Millennium trilogy was published. He died without a will and since he and his partner of 32 years were not married and had no children, his estate went to his father and brother, in accordance with Swedish law.

That included royalties from the books and the sale of film rights to "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," "The Girl Who Played with Fire" and "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest."

The books have sold millions of copies worldwide.

As the couple were not married and Larsson had not left a will, Gabrielsson is not legally entitled to inherit anything from her late partner. Swedish public opinion has been sympathetic towards the woman seen as Larsson's widow.

Gabrielsson and Larsson's family have been negotiating over the rights to Larsson's work since shortly after his death. Larsson's brother and father, Joakim and Erland Larsson, the legal heirs to the estate, said on Tuesday that talks had ended because Gabrielsson had not accepted their "customised" offer.

In the autumn, the pair offered Gabrielsson a 20 million kronor ($2.57 million) settlement. According to often quoted estimates, revenues from the books and films amount to more than 200 million kronor.

Gabrielsson had previously given up the battle for the blockbuster Millennium books, but stood firm over control of Larsson's other works.

Although Gabrielsson was offered "full transparency and participation rights" over the Millennium books and other Larsson works, she refused the deal.

"The answer was no, without explanation," Joakim Larsson said.

The inheritance dispute has received considerable coverage worldwide. According to US trade magazine Variety, Sony Pictures Entertainment hesitated signing a contract with the heirs because of the Gabrielsson dispute.

A movie contract was successfully reached last winter. Gabrielsson suggests it may be because the Larssons had terminated their proceedings with her, which Joakim Larsson denies.

"It has nothing to do with it," he said.

Currently, the company Moggliden manages Larsson's literary estate. Gabrielsson calls the post she would have received in the company of a "minority position," a label Joakim Larsson refused to acknowledge.

"She would have a voice, just like me and dad," he said. "The two could, for example, be able to vote together against me, just like a board anywhere."

Joakim Larsson refused to comment on Gabrielsson's new move.

"I'm finished with everything that has to do with Eva. I do not want to get involved with the bickering," he said.