‘Unauthorized Use of Hobbit:’ Hollywood targets little guys

Published: 14 March, 2012, 05:15

Martin Freeman stars as Bilbo Baggins in 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,' set for release this year

JRR Tolkien wrote a story 75 years ago about brave little men who courageously fought “the bigger guys” in Middle Earth. Now, there is a similar plot in real life – with a Hollywood giant threatening a small Hobbit-themed pub with legal action.

While the lawsuit attempts to "fight piracy,” the major million-dollar copyright violators seem to be out of Hollywood's sights. Instead, small businesses, unable to fight against giant corporations, are more likely to be pursued.

A small pub called ‘The Hobbit’ in Bevois Valley Road, Southampton, UK, has been welcoming fans of the Tolkien trilogy for more than twenty years. One can not only enjoy the interior and exterior, made in the style of the Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings classics, but also taste cocktails named after the books' characters, like Frodo and Gandalf. But now it looks like the Big People, speaking in Tolkien terms, have come to threaten the Little People’s little simple pleasures.

A multi-national California-based company owned by movie producer Saul Zaentz has warned the pub's owner that they must remove all artwork and other references to the book – also the movie by now – otherwise the pub could face legal action, the Daily Echo writes. Zaentz owns the worldwide film, stage and merchandising rights to The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit, which is scheduled to be released by the end of this year.

Pub The Hobbit, Southampton

Stella Roberts, 41, the landlady of the pub, says her small business simply does not have the funds to stand up to the big guys like Zaentz.

“We just haven’t got the resources to fight it. How can I take on a multi-million pound power?” – she told the Daily Echo.

“We never planned to steal anybody else’s ideas – we’re all such huge fans of Tolkien that it’s more like a homage,” Roberts added.

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Comment by DTOM on March 14, 2012 at 11:11am: So now the slavering jackals can retro-actively sue for things like this.

You can be sure that they only even know of its existance from scanning shitipedia.

What's next, legal action against anyone that dares to 'infringe' on historical events or public domain works, such as Shakespeare or ancient myths and legends, that the talentless hacks of Mordor, CA have adapted for screen and thus made their own?

John Lydon said it best: Burn Hollywood burn, tear down Tinseltown, burn down to the ground!