Tolkien family settle £62m rights battle
AUTHOR JRR Tolkien’s family have settled a £62million lawsuit against film giants Warner Bros over merchandising rights.
His daughter, Priscilla, estate and publisher, HarperCollins, sued for copyright infringement over his works Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit.
The family argued the rights, sold in 1969, only allowed Warner Bros to create “tangible” goods like models and clothing. They said the studio damaged the writer’s legacy with digital products like apps and gambling games.
Warner Bros countersued, claiming the estate had previously consented.
After a five-year court battle in California, the film studio said the matter was “amicably resolved”.