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Tolkien Estate Sues Over Lord of the Rings Slot Machines
An anonymous reader writes "The Tolkien Estate has filed an $80 million copyright infringement lawsuit in U.S. District Court over the use of Lord of the Rings slot machines. The complaint hinges on a contract between the estate and Warner Bros. which allows the creation of LotR merchandise but not LotR 'intangibles,' like the experience of playing a slot machine game. According to the estate (PDF), 'Not only does the production of gambling games patently exceed the scope of defendants' rights, but this infringing conduct has outraged Tolkien's devoted fan base, causing irreparable harm to Tolkien's legacy and reputation and the valuable goodwill generated by his works.'"
They still haven't found the precious.
No. No "fucking money." They haven't authorized any lord of the rings cockrings yet, though the slogan "one ring to rule them all" would be delightfully appropos.
Don't Warner Brothers have enough money yet without making LotR slot machines?
Quattuor res in hoc mundo sanctae sunt: libri, liberi, libertas et liberalitas.
How dare they attempt to flagrantly abuse the creative works created by an author 80 years ago, when the great-grandchildren of said author deserve a life of luxury for all of their blood, sweat and tears!
Though the litigiousness of the Tolkien Estate (via the ancient and gnarled iron grip of J.R.R's son Christopher) usually gives me indigestion, my organs seem unaffected by this case. LOTR-related merchandise is often tacky to a ridiculous level, but it seems WB has gone over the deep end here.
The problem with copyright is that you either defend it or lose it
No.
Poker machines are morally disgusting. They're basically a way of imposing a tax on people too stupid or hopeful to know better. Here in Australia, there's people who literally bankrupt themselves pouring money into the bloody things. I'm all for individual responsibility, but those bloody things are designed to addict more than cigarettes or crack cocaine.
What's more, venues that have poker machines deliberately target the poor. I've walked into a couple of poker machine venues, they are literally the embodiment of everything that is wrong with modern day society. Pensioners, disabled people, smoking heavily and desperate for, if nothing else, just a near-win.
Damn, now I had to cancel my plans to make a LOTR craps table with "you shall not bet the pass" written on it :(
Goldberry is waiting... for her Tom Bomba-dildo.
I'm more repulsed that LOTR was published over 50 years ago (The Hobbit about 80) and that Tolkien died 39 years ago and yet copyright still goes on. I'm not against copyright. I'd be okay with 20 years but it's de facto perpetual now. I think a slot machine is in bad taste, but that we've decided to create royalty in our society is worse. The human ability to share information and knowledge may be our single largest evolutionary advantage over other species and yet we now hinder it. It is in our nature to create. I'm okay with rewarding that creativity but I'm disgusted that we let it create a royal class. At one point in time, some guy does something great and becomes king. His heirs get the kingdom from there on out. We decided that wasn't a great idea so we renamed it, but it's the same system. Personally, I'd like the story a lot better if it didn't create rich worthless heirs that do nothing to benefit society themselves and reap government enforced income.