Don't even think of saying "Hobbit"

[Steve Hayes]

Someone posted this in the alt.usage.english newsgroup recently. I thought it
might be of interest here too:

"The word 'hobbit' has certainly been seeing a lot of legal action
lately, thanks to the Saul Zaentz Company and Middle-earth Enterprises,
which own trademarks on various Tolkien terms. First there was The
Hobbit pub, which was threatened with legal action if they didn't change
their name, but settled on a licensing deal thanks to support from 'The
Hobbit' actors James Frey and Sir Ian McKellen. Then came 'Age of the
Hobbits,' a rather obvious cash-in low-budget film from The Asylum
studio, which claimed their hobbits had nothing to do with Tolkien's.
They're also facing legal action demanding the title be changed. Yet
today, the legal brawl has extended into the scholarly realm, as a
professor who had planned to use the word 'hobbit' in his lecture title
was forbidden permission by the SZC."

Full story here:

http://snipurl.com/25gxrwv [www_examiner_com]

--
Steve Hayes
Web: http://hayesfam.bravehost.com/LITMAIN.HTM
http://www.goodreads.com/hayesstw
http://www.bookcrossing.com/mybookshelf/Methodius

[Troels Forchhammer]

In message <news:s3t498d8b0lj448qt...@4ax.com>
Steve Hayes <haye...@telkomsa.net> spoke these staves:

>
> Someone posted this in the alt.usage.english newsgroup recently. I
> thought it might be of interest here too:
>
> "The word 'hobbit' has certainly been seeing a lot of legal action
> lately, thanks to the Saul Zaentz Company and Middle-earth
> Enterprises, which own trademarks on various Tolkien terms. First
> there was The Hobbit pub, which was threatened with legal action
> if they didn't change their name, but settled on a licensing deal
> thanks to support from 'The Hobbit' actors James Frey and Sir Ian
> McKellen.

The latest news on this is that the SZC and MeE lawyers are doing
their best to draw out the time -- the pub had not received anything
from the SZC/MeE last I heard, and they didn't dare let their own
lawyers go, so the price for this seemingly generous offer of a
license at a symbolic price may still be that _The Hobbit_ pub will
have to close down.

> Then came 'Age of the Hobbits,' a rather obvious cash-in low-budget
> film from The Asylum studio, which claimed their hobbits had
> nothing to do with Tolkien's. They're also facing legal action
> demanding the title be changed.

This is, to my thought, actually positive news. The studio seems
determined to fight it out, and so, finally, we may have a trial that
can determine the extent of the SZC/MeE rights, which I suppose are
FAR less than they pretend, but if unopposed, they will probably be
able to extend their rights simply because people do not dare fight
their legal muscle.

> Yet today, the legal brawl has extended into the scholarly realm,
> as a professor who had planned to use the word 'hobbit' in his
> lecture title was forbidden permission by the SZC."

I hope, and I pray, that Dr. Alloway will not bow to their ludicrous
demands. Here is a trial case that I would gladly support monitarily
(the pub had been using imagery and other things that were, in my
inexpert understanding, at least closer to infringing on the rights
of the SZC/MeE and Warner).

Also, I have seen other media claiming that the plaintiff is the
Tolkien Estate, once more throwing an undeserved negative light on
the actions of the Estate (which is not to say that the Tolkien
Estate has never erred on the side of being repressive, but a large
majority of such cases are actually a result of either the SZV/MeE or
of companies reacting with excessive caution).

--
Troels Forchhammer
Valid e-mail is <troelsfo(a)gmail.com>
Please put [AFT], [RABT] or 'Tolkien' in subject.

Truth in science can be defined as the working hypothesis
best suited to open the way to the next better one.
- Konrad Lorenz

[sean_q]

On 11/1/2012 5:10 AM, Steve Hayes wrote:

> "The word 'hobbit' has certainly been seeing a lot of legal action
> lately, thanks to the Saul Zaentz Company and Middle-earth Enterprises,
> which own trademarks on various Tolkien terms.

The public domain status of _Aesop's Fables_ has just reached its
2500 year expiry time limit and I hereby claim the copyright.

That means from now on anyone who says "sour grapes",
"the lion's share" or "cry wolf" etc has to pay me a royalty.

ps. I have also recently acquired all rights to the phrase
"hold the fort" from the heirs of William Tecumseh Sherman.*
Since Frodo uses this expression in FotR, the Tolkien Estate,
Saul Zaentz Company and Middle-earth Enterprises owes me big time.

* Sherman is credited with coining the phrase in a signal
to a besieged fort during the Battle of Allatoona Pass, 1864.

SQ

[Wayne Brown]

After the despicable way The Saul Zaentz Company treated Peter S. Beagle,
I'm not surprised by anything they do. Disgusted, but not surprised.

--
F. Wayne Brown <fwb...@bellsouth.net>

Þæs ofereode, ðisses swa mæg. ("That passed away, this also can.")
from "Deor," in the Exeter Book (folios 100r-100v)

[Morgoth's Curse]

Too late, Sean. The Dead Thread Faction has already copyrighted
all English words currently existing as well as any that may be
invented in the future. In other words, any time you speak, write or
think anything in English you owe us money. The Dead Thread Faction
accepts American dollars only.

Morgoth's Curse

[Paul S. Person]

On Thu, 01 Nov 2012 12:54:32 -0800, sean_q <no....@no.spam> wrote:

>On 11/1/2012 5:10 AM, Steve Hayes wrote:
>
>> "The word 'hobbit' has certainly been seeing a lot of legal action
>> lately, thanks to the Saul Zaentz Company and Middle-earth Enterprises,
>> which own trademarks on various Tolkien terms.
>
>The public domain status of _Aesop's Fables_ has just reached its
>2500 year expiry time limit and I hereby claim the copyright.

Claim whatever copyrights you wish; the companies indicated above are
claiming /trademarks/, which are not the same thing.
--
"Nature must be explained in
her own terms through
the experience of our senses."