Tolkien Estate Prevails in Copyright Battle, Forces Destruction of Unauthorized Lord of the Rings Sequel
In a dramatic legal showdown, the estate of renowned author JRR Tolkien has emerged victorious in a copyright infringement case against US author Demetrious Polychron, who penned an unauthorized Lord of the Rings sequel titled "The Fellowship Of The King."
Polychron's attempt to sue the Tolkien estate backfired when a US district court dismissed his case, asserting that his own novel had breached copyright laws. Undeterred, the Tolkien estate initiated legal action to halt the distribution of Polychron's book, which he boldly claimed to be "the pitch-perfect sequel to The Lord Of The Rings."
A recent court ruling has now delivered a resounding blow to Polychron, mandating a permanent injunction that prohibits the distribution of "The Fellowship Of The King" and forbids any future works derived from Tolkien's literary universe. Furthermore, the court has ordered the destruction of all existing physical and electronic copies of Polychron's book.
In addition to the injunction, Polychron has been slapped with a hefty financial penalty. He is required to pay legal fees amounting to $134,000 (£106,000) to the Tolkien estate and Amazon, covering the costs incurred during his initial lawsuit. The court deemed Polychron's legal pursuit unreasonable and frivolous.
The UK solicitor for the Tolkien estate, Steven Maier, emphasized that Polychron had written his book with a "commercial basis" and hailed the legal outcome as a crucial success in safeguarding the copyright of Tolkien's iconic fantasy epic. Maier declared that the estate would not tolerate any unauthorized attempts to "monetize JRR Tolkien's much-loved works."
"The estate hopes that the award of a permanent injunction and attorneys' fees will be sufficient to dissuade others who may have similar intentions," added Mr. Maier, signaling a strong stance against potential infringing endeavors on Tolkien's literary legacy.
