Tolkien’s Estate Sues Warner Bros.
The estate of J.R.R. Tolkien and HarperCollins have filed a lawsuit against Warner Bros. for $80 million over using licensed characters from the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit series in online games of various types.
The lawsuit alleges that Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema infringed on the contract by licensing the characters out to online slot machines, online games and other downloads.
“Not only does the production of gambling games patently exceed the scope of defendants’ rights, but this infringing conduct has outraged Tolkien’s devoted fan base, causing irreparable harm to Tolkien’s legacy and reputation and the valuable goodwill generated by his works,” the lawsuit, which was filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, states.
For more details, you can read the full article at Reuters.
