Mirrorsoft was the UK software company that published Tetris after Robert Stein sublicensed its rights. Stein, founder of Andromeda Software, encountered the game through Hungary and pitched it to Mirrorsoft executive Jim Mackonochie.
Mirrorsoft was a British company founded by business magnate Robert Maxwell and Mackonochie. Although Mackonochie initially doubted whether a Soviet computer puzzle could succeed commercially, he consulted Phil Adam of the American sister company Spectrum HoloByte. Adam’s enthusiasm helped persuade Mirrorsoft to proceed.
Mirrorsoft released Tetris in the United Kingdom on January 27, 1988. Spectrum HoloByte released its related version in the United States two days later. Mirrorsoft’s publishing and sublicensing activity helped Tetris reach European home computers, including the Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum.
The deal was part of a famously confused licensing history. Stein believed he had obtained rights from the Soviet developers, but the Soviet state agency ELORG ultimately asserted control over international licensing. That dispute later affected console and handheld rights, especially during negotiations involving Nintendo.