Tolkien Estate blocks new Tolkien book - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

davem · 11-17-2010, 02:34 AM

I think many of us have a tendency to tip toe around the Estate, simply because the family are at the core of it & we don't like the idea of saying 'nasty' things about Tolkien's children & grandchildren. I have to say that if the 'Tolkien Estate was simply a commercial organisation who controlled the copyright of Tolkien's works & had no connection with the family the reaction to this story would have been far less muted.

We should perhaps remember that the Tolkien Estate is not a 'fan' organisation, but an entirely commercial one & clearly places issues of copyright above 'art'. 'Tolkien' is a copyrighted product now as much as Coke or MacDonalds or Apple - & you wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of their lawyers either.

Can't help but wonder whether something 'happened' when Tolkien's original publisher, Allen & Unwin, was taken over by Rupert Murdoch's Harper Collins...

11-17-2010, 02:34 AM	#10
davem Illustrious Ulair Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: In the home of lost causes, and forsaken beliefs, and unpopular names,and impossible loyalties Posts: 4,240	I think many of us have a tendency to tip toe around the Estate, simply because the family are at the core of it & we don't like the idea of saying 'nasty' things about Tolkien's children & grandchildren. I have to say that if the 'Tolkien Estate was simply a commercial organisation who controlled the copyright of Tolkien's works & had no connection with the family the reaction to this story would have been far less muted. We should perhaps remember that the Tolkien Estate is not a 'fan' organisation, but an entirely commercial one & clearly places issues of copyright above 'art'. 'Tolkien' is a copyrighted product now as much as Coke or MacDonalds or Apple - & you wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of their lawyers either. Can't help but wonder whether something 'happened' when Tolkien's original publisher, Allen & Unwin, was taken over by Rupert Murdoch's Harper Collins... __________________ “Everything was an object. If you killed a dwarf you could use it as a weapon – it was no different to other large heavy objects."