(BBC)
When J.R.R. Tolkien wove his tales of hobbits, elves, wizards, orcs and the triumph of good over evil, he probably didn’t think that greedy Hollywood types would one day go after a cozy English pub that celebrates Middle Earth. But that’s just what one company is doing — suing The Hobbit in Southampton, England for copyright infringement.
BBC News says the lawyers for the California company that owns the rights to several brands tied to Tolkien, including The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings, is demanding the pub remove all traces of its 20-year-old hobbit heritage. Currently on the menu are cocktails name for characters like Frodo and Gandalf.
A letter from the lawyers says it has “exclusive worldwide rights to motion picture, merchandising, stage and other rights in certain literary works of JRR Tolkien including The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.”
Says the landlady: “We were absolutely stunned. It was completely unexpected, we never intended to infringe anyone’s copyright. Are we doing any harm? I don’t think so. We’re bringing people to the books and the stories who haven’t heard of JRR Tolkien,” adding, “We don’t have the financial resources to fight it — I can’t fight Hollywood.”
Okay, Elijah Wood. It’s up to you to stop this insanity. Take the lawsuit and throw it in Mount Doom.
Hobbit pub in Southampton threatened with legal action [BBC News]
More From Consumerist
-
Denny’s Is Really Hoping You All Want To Chow Down On Hobbit Food
-
New Zealanders Will Be Able To Buy Bilbo & Gandalf Stamps With ‘Hobbit’ Legal Tender
-
Why Hollywood Video Zombie Debts Just Won't Go Away
-
Outraged Madonna Fans Intolerant Of Her Tolerance Concert Only Lasting 45 Minutes
-
Google Switches Up Its Search Engine To Shun Sites Suspected Of Peddling Pirated Content
There’s a golf course near me in MD called “Hobbit’s Glen” and the neighborhood streets around it are named things like “Rivendell Lane”, “Wood Elves Way”, etc. The area was built in the 1960s and I always thought it an awesome alternative to the usual BS names given to suburban communities. Maybe they are next.
I do not normally jump on the side of entities such as Hollywood, but in this case they may have a point. I understand that if you do not defend your copyright, you could loose the right to have it. Major league sports teams do this all the time when youth teams choose the same name as a major league team. From the article it does not seem like they are becoming trolls and demanding back payment for royalties.
Sounds like it is time for Anonymous to take down another site. A take down faqua has been issued against Saul Zaentz Company.
That or as others have posted, they have been around for 20 years, I think they are in the right. Send some money to their defense fund.
Is it too late to nominate a company for the worst company in America?
Looks like the public attention is helping.
Sir Ian McKellen & Stephen Fry have come to the pub’s defense.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-17390623
What a load of… Didn’t the Tolkien estate have to sue Hollywood to get payment from the millions or billion dollars made via the movies, merchandising, happy meals, etc?