"Lord of the Rings" Enters the Legal Ring with J.R.R. Tolkien's Estate
The estate of "Lord of the Rings" creator J.R.R. Tolkien is suing the film studio that released the trilogy based on his books, claiming the company hasn't paid it a penny from the estimated $6 billion the films have grossed worldwide, reports Alex Veiga. See the full article here The suit was filed in Los Angelos New Line Cinema. Veiga indicates the case could disrupt plans by New Line to make a two-film prequel based on "The Hobbit." As commerce, arts, and intellectual property rights expand globally, there will likely be a continued growth in probate related litigation worldwide. At the end of the day, reason indicates someone should eventually make a deal, but it gets tougher and tougher as the number of parties and countries' laws involved expands.
