Part 4/11:
In response, Bitmap Books issued a statement acknowledging that they became aware of the tweets after the book’s launch. They condemned Norton’s past remarks as "insensitive" and announced that they would donate all of his royalties—both present and future—to a charity called Special Effect, which helps disabled gamers.
However, questions arose about the legality and morality of this decision. Critics argued that the publisher was effectively punishing the author financially without canceling the book itself. If the royalties are Norton’s earnings, can a company simply divert those funds to charity? Many believed that the publisher’s response exposed a problematic tendency: punishing individuals for their tweets while still profiting from their work.