CT's lawyer lays the facts down

[Child of the 7th Age]

You might want to glance at this: here.
I am having trouble with the link....just in case I will quote the portion. This is a very long article that goes on and on -- this is just a tiny part of it.

In 2001, Christopher issued a statement declaring that the "Tolkien estate would be best advised to avoid any specific association with the films." This dispelled any rumor that director Jackson had received his blessing. But not every member of the Tolkien Company, the board that maintains the relationship between the estate and the outside world, was in agreement. Simon Tolkien, one of J.R.R.'s six grandchildren, expressed interest in cooperating with the filmmakers. For Simon's traitorous views, Christopher removed his son as a trustee.

My several attempts to reach Christopher or interview an estate lawyer were handily deflected. But via telephone I did reach Simon.

"The essential thing was that I crossed my father on a Tolkien issue, and he never looked back," Simon, 44, says from London. "I never saw the films as a threat. I've enjoyed the movies for what they are."

Obviously hurt by his father's rejection, Simon hasn't spoken to him in 4 1/2 years. He's not permitted to discuss the estate. "I do have a relationship with the money, but I can't talk about it. If what you're after is someone who will tell you the estate's attitude toward this and that, I can't. I'm cut off. It's a source of grievance for me."

Of course, we don't know who is in the "right" here, or even if there is a "right". It is perhaps wise to remember that Christopher was divorced from his first wife, and that Simon is the son of that wife. I know nothing about the family situation, but it would not be unusual to have bad blood in a situation like this where divorce is involved.

I think some legitimate complaints can be made against Christopher, despite his dedication. For example, as this article indicates, only four scholars have been given direct access to the linguistic papers. There is tremendous unhappiness about this among other linguists, since the material has been released very, very slowly. You can find websites where this is discussed, not by crackpots but legitimate scholars. Other scholars have complained about uneven access to the materials, with certain old favorites getting the nod. I am no expert on this, and undoubtedly there are different viewpoints here. Certainly, the blog cited above is ridiculous, and the author of this newspaper article is no fan of CT, but legitimate concerns could exist.