Hobbit makers ban uni from using ‘hobbit’

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Wed, 24 Oct 2012 5:41p.m.

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A New Zealand scientist has been legally banned from using the word ‘hobbit’ to describe a group of miniature humanoids.

A New Zealand scientist has been legally banned from using the word ‘hobbit’ to describe a group of miniature humanoids.

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31/10/2012 4:17:40 p.m.

Ian H wrote:

The moral of the story is "don't ask". It is unlikely that Tolkein's copyright can be used legally to stop people using a single word, even if J.R. did coin it originally. But if you ask for permission they are not going to tell you that. They are going to say no and demand payment. So don't ever ask for permission. Just go ahead. It puts the onus on them to complain, and since there are possible consequences for making a false claim they probably won't. If they do complain then don't argue - simply stop. But NEVER ask.

30/10/2012 11:05:12 a.m.

David Mackenzie wrote:

It seems rather graceless of the estate lawyers. The scientists are merely using the name as shorthand for scientific nomentclature. The Tolkien estate looses nothing. On the contrary it gains even more kudos for Tolkien for his term to enter the language as a general word for small hominids. After all scientists are not making money from the use. There is thereofre not loss of revenue to the estate.

28/10/2012 4:00:30 a.m.

Mack wrote:

Not my call, but Mr. Tolkien's estate is perhaps being both grumpy (I do not allude to the Disney dwarf) and short-sighted. My daughter named our dachshund puppy Liesl after a character in THE SOUND OF MUSIC -- is that illegal?

25/10/2012 9:59:52 a.m.

Brian Boru wrote:

In a recent interview with Christopher, Bailee and Adam Tolkien: "I could write a book on the idiotic requests I have received," sighs Christopher Tolkien.... "Normally," explains Adam Tolkien, "the executors of the estate want to promote a work as much as they can. But we are just the opposite. We want to put the spotlight on what is not Lord of the Rings." This would have to be one of those moments. If these homo floresiensises lived in holes in the ground call them holbytlan! Or better still find the equivalent to 'hole dweller' in the origins of the etymology of the language of the people who live on this island!

25/10/2012 7:34:38 a.m.

Charles Eggen wrote:

Denny's Restaurants with be having a tie-in with the Hobbit this November thru January. They will be offering "Hobbit Meals" such as "Shire Sausage" & "Hobbit Hole Breakfast." It caught my fancy and so I decided to add their embedded code link offer to my website. However when contacting Denny's about doing that, I was told I could not and that I would need permission from Warner to proceed. This is very strange given that the video ad is all over the Internet, with all major newspapers including it at their websites. It's not as though nzvideos is a porno website.