Ok I am a law student and I have to say New Line did it to them selves. You see under the 1989 amendment of the UK Copyright Act 1709 it is life of the author plus 70 years but because Christopher Tolkien has made new books basted on the same copy right, the copy right transfer to him so it is now Christopher Tolkien's life plus 70 years. Christopher Tolkien is a live. And a book may be given under the 1999 amendment of the UK Copyright Act 1709 a Parliamentary copyright or Crown copyright by Parliament or the the king or queen witch Tolkien's works have been given a Crown copyright witch gives it 125 years plus the 70 years, that 195 years after Christopher Tolkien finely dies. Ok and the U.S.A. is bound by treaty to these, and then there's the 2003 amendment of United States copyright law of 1978 it exited the copyright of all works made after 1923 and before 1978 that have yet to have the copyright ran out who's writer is died that would expire before 2047 to 2048. The 2003 amendment of United States copyright law of 1978 allows the owner of a copy right to pay 8% of the estimated income of the copy right over the next 50 years and extend the copy right for 50 years and there is no limit on the number of times the copy right may be extend this way.
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Ok I am a law student and I have to say New Line did it to them selves. You see under the 1989 amendment of the UK Copyright Act 1709 it is life of the author plus 70 years but because Christopher Tolkien has made new books basted on the same copy right, the copy right transfer to him so it is now Christopher Tolkien's life plus 70 years. Christopher Tolkien is a live. And a book may be given under the 1999 amendment of the UK Copyright Act 1709 a Parliamentary copyright or Crown copyright by Parliament or the the king or queen witch Tolkien's works have been given a Crown copyright witch gives it 125 years plus the 70 years, that 195 years after Christopher Tolkien finely dies. Ok and the U.S.A. is bound by treaty to these, and then there's the 2003 amendment of United States copyright law of 1978 it exited the copyright of all works made after 1923 and before 1978 that have yet to have the copyright ran out who's writer is died that would expire before 2047 to 2048. The 2003 amendment of United States copyright law of 1978 allows the owner of a copy right to pay 8% of the estimated income of the copy right over the next 50 years and extend the copy right for 50 years and there is no limit on the number of times the copy right may be extend this way.