Viiding biography sparks debate over publishing private letters

An Estonian television programme is examining who has the right to publish material about deceased public figures, following a dispute over writer Juhan Viiding’s biography, ERR reports.

Mihkel Mutt’s nearly 400-page book, “Juhani evangeelium,” about Viiding’s life and work was published in September. In an interview in early October, Viiding’s daughter Elo said her father’s farewell letters had been published without the heirs’ permission. She criticised the decision to make money from the letters.

Mutt later said on Vikerraadio, an Estonian radio station, that he had initially thought the issue fell under personal data protection rules, rather than copyright. He said the book was already complete but could still have been changed. He chose to publish the letters in full because he wanted to preserve Viiding’s distinctive style.

On October 20, Mutt said on social media that he had been asked to remove the book from sale immediately. Ants Nõmper, representing the heirs, said publishing another author’s work without permission from the author or their heirs was a clear breach of the law. Mutt said he had expected permission would be refused and had chosen to take the risk, arguing that rewriting the material could distort cultural history.

Writer Katrin Pauts said the law should apply equally to everyone and that the letters should not have appeared in full. She also said the publication could have caused the heirs emotional and psychological distress, particularly because the letters contained sensitive information.

The programme also revisits earlier disputes. In 2011, an unauthorised reprint of Silver Anniko’s Soviet-era bestseller “Rusikad” led a court to order nearly 5,000 pirated copies destroyed to protect the rights of the murdered author.

Another dispute involved the biography “Nüüd julgen rääkida.” Late last year, Jüri Aarma’s children, Roosi-Mae and Kiur Aarma, sent author Diana Klas a demand to remove all information, references and photographs concerning their father. The case went to court in April, and the parties reached a confidential settlement by autumn.