Zaentz countersues the Estate

[William Cloud Hicklin]

What I'm saying is, it certainly seems that Zaentz Co did little that would have contributed to the "fame and goodwill" of the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit "brand" prior to the Jackson films

Or after, either: all Zaentz did was accept a check from the Weinstein brothers for the privilege of making the movies (which the Ws subsequently sold along to New Line in exchange for a cut, ultimately making themselves a pile). ZaentzCo contributed pretty much zip-point-zilch, not even Miramax' sunk pre-production costs.

The notion that the Estate and the Tolkien name somehow benefited from "good will" generated by bobbleheads and Burger King cups is beyond risible.