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LoTR Lawsuit Threatens Hobbit Production
eyrieowl writes "J.R.R.'s heirs are suing for royalties on the LoTR films. Apparently they haven't gotten any money due to some creative accounting. Peter Jackson ought to understand...he had to sue the studio for much the same reason.
As for The Hobbit? FTFA: 'Tolkien's family and a British charity they head, the Tolkien Trust, seek more than $220 million in compensation...[and]...the option to terminate further rights to the author's work.'"
pharmaceutical companies make plenty fine income, with very short patents on the use of drugs, because of the clear and moral trepidation of life-saving drugs being bound in financial chicanery. the same holds true for cultural output, but since the consequences of artificially extended ownership are less obvious and onerous, the impoverishment of OUR culture is less clear, even though it is real and horrible
the same holds true for any book, movie, song, or anything else, created by anyone
after awhile, that piece is part of YOUR culture, and is owned by YOU
your grandad wrote a good pop song? good for him. you want money for it? fuck you
what creators will get, and will always get, is fame, and that has lots of avenues for capitalization
but i am fucking sick of this idea that you write a song, or a book, or a movie, and somehow you get to decide how it is used for all time
no: fuck you. we love you for what you made, but your control is artificially extended by greedy bastards and broken laws
there is no reason why have to pay someone to sing happy birthday. there is no reason i can't use the image of some stupid cartoon mouse created 70 years ago however i like if i want to. of course, there ARE reasons, but they are all morally broken and extended only by corporate greed
fuck the idea of intellectual property. the story of the 21st century will or should be about the downfall of the logical and philosophical and therefore legal assumptions that allow this malignant idea to persist
intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it