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The intellectual property map of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit
The rights to The Lord of the Rings and all things Middle-earth are complicated. This primer brings us up to date.
In the decade before the professor’s death, in the 1960s, The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit books experienced a surge in popularity, the themes of struggle between good and evil, addiction to power, the horrors of war and environmental destruction resonated throughout society, particularly with younger generations. One of the first things that Saul Zaentz approved was the ill-fated Bakshi film, which combined live action and animation at time that predated the excellence of computer-generated special effects. Middle-earth Enterprises continued to maintain its ownership in the trademarks, service marks, live stage theme park, merchandise and electronic game rights to that Amazon TV series.
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