Tolkien fans may have been aware of an odd case going through the courts. In 2022, a writer named Demetrious Polychron self-published a book called The Fellowship of the King, claiming it was the ‘pitch-perfect sequel to The Lord of the Rings‘.
In April of this year, Polychron attempted to sue the Tolkien Estate and Amazon (for $250 million!), claiming that The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power TV series infringed copyright on his book. (This court document reveals letters Polychron wrote to Simon Tolkien – it makes for fascinating reading.) This case was dismissed by a judge – but Polychron had been unwise to draw such attention to his writing. The Tolkien Estate in turn filed a lawsuit to prevent distribution of Polychron’s derivative book, and the six sequels he had planned. Here’s what the Estate’s official press release tells us, about the conclusion of this extraordinary tale:
TOLKIEN ESTATE SUCCESSFUL IN COPYRIGHT CLAIMS OVERINFRINGING LORD OF THE RINGS ‘SEQUEL’
The Estate of JRR Tolkien has been successful in two lawsuits concerning a book named The Fellowship of the King by US-based author Demetrious Polychron.
Polychron published and commercially promoted the book, which he claimed to be “the pitch-perfect sequel to The Lord of the Rings.”
Polychron then commenced a lawsuit against the Tolkien Estate and Amazon in April of this year, claiming that Amazon’s TV series The Rings of Power infringed the copyright in his book. The US District Court summarily dismissed that case, finding that Polychron’s own book was infringing and could not be used as the basis for a claim.
The Tolkien Estate filed a separate lawsuit against Polychron for an injunction to prevent The Fellowship of the King from being further distributed.
In Judgments issued by Judge Steven V. Wilson on December 14, the Court awarded the Tolkien Estate summary judgment on its claim, granting a permanent injunction which prevents Polychron from ever distributing any further copies of The Fellowship of the King, his planned sequels to that book, or any other derivative work based on the books of JRR Tolkien. He is also required to destroy all physical and electronic copies of his book and to file a declaration, under penalty of perjury, that he has complied.
The Court also awarded attorney’s fees totalling $134,000 to the Tolkien Estate and Amazon in connection with Polychron’s lawsuit, which the Court found to have been frivolously and unreasonably filed.
Lance Koonce and Gili Karev of Klaris Law, New York, represented the Tolkien Estate.
The Estate’s UK solicitor, Steven Maier of Maier Blackburn, commented: “This is an important success for the Tolkien Estate, which will not permit unauthorized authors and publishers to monetize JRR Tolkien’s much-loved works in this way. This case involved a serious infringement of The Lord of the Rings copyright, undertaken on a commercial basis, and the Estate hopes that the award of a permanent injunction and attorneys’ fees will be sufficient to dissuade others who may have similar intentions.”
Please join us Friday, October 13th at 7:30pm as we bring back our annual NYC gathering of fans! Once again, we’re delighted to be teaming up with our friends at Sideshow.com to bring you a fun night of drinks, food, prizes, and geekery! Details and the link to buy tickets below.
Photo by Ashlee Rose Scott
We’re back – time to party in the Big Apple during New York Comic-Con!
We’ll be back at our favourite venue, the Joyce Public House (formerly Tir na Nog) in Times Square (W 39th St). The party will be on FRIDAY 13th (eek!) October, 7.30-10.30pm. (All welcome – no NYCC pass required to attend.)
As we all know, costs of everything have gone up, so we’re sorry to say our party tickets have, too! But we’ve managed to keep them down to just $40, which includes your first drink, finger food, and two tickets for the raffle which will be drawn on the night. PLUS every party goer will receive a ‘party favour’ from our friends at Shire Post Mint, to take home with them; AND you can get $25 back in SIDESHOW.COM REWARDS if you set up a Sideshow account!
You can purchase more raffle tickets if you’d like – either here online, or at the party. Check out some of the amazing prizes, listed below!
You never know who may show up to one of our events; we hope to see YOU there! Numbers are strictly limited; grab your tickets now!
Questions? Contact greendragon@theonering.net
Raffle items include… but not all are listed…
Tickets to ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers’ screening with live orchestra, at Radio City (Feb 2024)
Hot Toys Mandalorian and Child 1:6 Scale Figure Set
Lots of Middle-earth goodies from New Zealand Post
Sideshow The Dude Exclusive 1:6 Figure
Pokemon Poke Ball Replicas
Beautiful Middle-earth items from Scottish designers Oscha
The annual TORn event in Los Angeles’ Griffith Park is slated to take place on Saturday, September 23, starting at 11:30 a.m. in the Mineral Wells location we’ve been using for years.
One note for those driving in from the Valley. The North entrance to the park from the 134 freeway, past Forest Lawn and the Travel Town Railroad has major closures, so make sure to drive around to the 5 freeway, head south, and follow the directions into the park. The FB event page has directions, just visit the event page https://www.facebook.com/events/795815945664608 Simply click on the About button, then See More at the bottom of the brief description to see the full description, and driving directions.
We don’t quite know what the weather will be like, but there is usually lots of sunshine, so a popup tent, sunscreen, a hat, etc. is always a good idea. The Potluck is back, so read through the description on the FB event page for more details. If everyone brings at least enough food and drink for their party, and maybe to share with at least 3-4 other people, we should have more than enough food. But it doesn’t stop at food and drink, we will also want a supply of paper plates and cups, ice chests with ice in them, trash bags, plastic utensils, and paper towels. Beverages should be in bottles, if possible, in the case of yellowjackets, cans just can’t keep your beverage safe. There will be fun and games, as usual, with trivia and possibly some Golfimbul fun to be had. Costumes are welcome, and we will be doing the Middle-earth-themed Cake and Cupcake contest, so start considering your epic design and yumminess factor. There will be prizes for many of the games, cakes, and costumes.
To RSVP and let us know what food or supply items you intend to bring, please post on the facebook event page linked above, or email Garfeimao@TheOneRing.net.
DragonCon begins today – and of course TORn will be there! You’ll find staffers deej and greendragon at TORn’s ‘fan table’, in our usual location: in the Hyatt opposite the entrance to the Art Show. We’ll be there from Friday on, until the very end of the con! This year we have three new shirt designs and a new button, as well as some former designs, and other fun goodies at the table. Drop by and see us!
There are some exciting celebrity guests for Middle-earth lovers this weekend; read on for highlights of events of interest to Tolkien fans during DragonCon this year:
Friday 1st 10am The Wit and Wisdom of Samwise Gamgee
Gardener; friend; husband; potato enthusiast. We all need more Sam in our lives! Marriott room L401-403
Friday 2nd 8.30pm An Evening at Bree
As ever, TORn will be joining the High Fantasy track to host this long standing DragonCon tradition. Party like a Hobbit! Once again, our live acts will be fan favourites The Brobdingnagian Bards, Beth Patterson, and Landloch’d. We’ll also have the Elf Choir, and the costume contest – with a fabulous panel of expert cosplay judges. We’re thrilled that Charles Conley, Joshua Duart and Lacey Santos will be lending us their skill and judgement for the evening! If you’d like to enter the contest, please remember to sign up in advance of the evening, at the TORn fan table or the High Fantasy track room (Marriott room L401-403).
Find us at the inn of the Prancing Pony (aka Hilton Grand West)
Saturday 2nd 1pm The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Retrospective
It’s been 20 years (gasp!) since the final part of Peter Jackson’s trilogy was released. Join TORn staffers to look back and get nostalgic together! Marriott room A601-602
Saturday 2nd 4pm Rings of Power discussion
A look back at Season 1, and speculation as to what may be coming in Season 2 of Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings show. Marriott room A601-602
Saturday 2nd 5.30pm Elijah Wood and Sean Astin in conversation
Marriott Atrium Ballroom
Saturday 2nd 10pm The Tolkien Renaissance
What makes Middle-earth such an enduring favourite with fans? With more shows, movies (and maybe even a theme park) in the works, we’ll explore why Tolkien’s works are evergreen. Marriott room L401-403
Sunday 3rd 10am Hobbits, Harfoots, and More!
Exploring the origins, characteristics, and significance of our favourite hairy-footed folks. Marriott room L401-403
Sunday 3rd 1pm Andy Serkis and Elijah Wood in conversation
Marriott Atrium Ballroom
(There are also photo sessions with Astin, Serkis, and Wood throughout the weekend. Their appearances are fully in line with SAG-AFTRA guidelines, enabling actors to attend conventions but not to promote work.)
Sunday 5pm Hobbit Drinking Songs!
Join The Brobdingnagian Bards and party like a Hobbit! Hilton Grand West
Sunday 10pm Dance Magic Dance
TORn’s own deej shows us how she got her name, as she djs this 1980s themed dance party. Put on your best 80s/fantasy cosplay and come and dance the night away!
There are many more High Fantasy Track events which are Middle-earth related, and other events across the con which will appeal to Tolkien fans. Check out DragonCon’s app for all the details. Hope to see you here for all the fun – come and say hi!
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Oxonmoot, an annual event hosted by The Tolkien Society in Oxford, UK. The event will be available to stream live from Thursday, August 31 through Sunday, September 3.
Bear McCreary
Bear McCreary will join Oxonmoot for an exclusive chat on Friday, September 1st at 4:40pm UK-time (8:40am PDT / 11:40am EDT / 5:40pm CET), and the session will be available live to online attendees.
McCreary, a lifelong Tolkien fan, composed the 37 tracks that make up the score for Prime’s Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power. His work for the show received acclaim from fans and critics alike. The gorgeous themes he developed for the show were completely new yet still reflective of the scores that Howard Shore composed for Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings. McCreary is also know for his work on Battlestar Galactica, The Walking Dead, and Outlander, among other television series. McCreary is articulate in speaking about his methodology, and he is just plain fun in an interview.
Brian Sibley
Brian Sibley will also be a guest at Oxonmoot. His session is called “‘The Fall of Númenor’: An Editor’s Journey.” As the name of the event implies, Mr. Sibley edited the volume of J.R.R. Tolkien’s writings titled The Fall of Númenor: And Other Tales from the Second Age of Middle-earth, which was illustrated by Alan Lee. Sibley will speak about the “pleasures and pitfalls” in editing the book.
Sibley has written extensively for radio dramas such as BBC Radio 4’s adaptation of Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia. He is well known for authoring many “making of” books about films, including those for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, as well as the Harry Potter series. He is incredibly knowledgeable about Tolkien and fascinating to listen to.
San Diego Comic Con is upon us yet again. After a huge return last year where The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power dominated the show with badges, parties, and a Hall H concert, the fans are in the driver seat this year to celebrate all things fandom.
By Popular Demand – Magic of Middle-earth Party!
TheOneRing.net, Weta Workshop, Diamond Select Collectibles, Nerd of the Rings and more are teaming up for a party of hobbit magnificence featuring food, drinks, libations, goodie baggins, artwork by Jerry Vanderstelt and a cosplay contest hosted by Weta Workshop’s Richard Taylor and Daniel Falconer!
When: Thursday July 20
Time: 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Where: Storyhouse Spirits, downtown San Diego
Cosplay Contest: 7:00 pm
Family: Friendly (kids allowed)
SDCCBadge: NOT required
Tickets: Required
Tickets go on sale tomorrow, Thursday July 13 at 12pm Noon PT. Last year’s party sold out in 3 minutes. Link will be published on all our socials, and its highly suggested you join the TORn Discord for earliest access.
TheOneRing.net Booth 1220 – Signings and Exclusives
Find us again in the book publishers area of the show floor with new Exclusive Merch and Shirts! Limited quantities have been produced and will not be sold online. Shirt sizes available from XS – 3XL
Shire Post Mint returns to TheOneRing.net booth with officially licensed coinage and pins. We will have a selection of the most popular products.
EXCLUSIVE new secret Weta Workshop Mini Epic will be unveiled Thursday morning and we will have limited quantities available each morning of Comic-con, while supplies last.
SIGNING at the booth Thursday July 20 from 12pm noon – 2pm is Weta Workshop’s Richard Taylor and Daniel Falconer! Bring your favorite treasure (like Middle-earth Script to Screen) or rush to purchase the exclusive new Mini Epics and get them signed free.
More Signings – Jed Brophy
The man of many faces in Middle-earth returns to celebrate 20 years and counting of performing in LOTR adaptations. Pick up signed headshot from one of his many memorable characters, or just shake his hand and share a smile! He’ll be around all weekend.
Also hanging at the booth all weekend is the friendly volunteer staff from your favorite Tolkien community plus friends like Matt from Nerd of the Rings, Kaitlyn from Tea with Tolkien, and author K.M. Rice.
Tolkien Panels!
Here’s a list of panels LOTR fans may be interested in. Things have been in flux due to Hollywood union negotiations and strikes, but these panels are confirmed:
Friday 2:15pm, Room 6A – Weta Workshop Presents… you won’t want to miss this! Surprises abound
JUST ADDED!Saturday 1:00pm, Room 23ABC – Dispatches from Middle-earth with TORn and Nerd of the Rings
Saturday 4:30pm, Room 10 – Costumes of Rings of Power with Kate Hawley
Saturday 5:30pm, Room 7AB – No Man Am I: Women of Middle-earth, Hosted by TheOneRing.net with Cathy Udovch, Tea with Tolkien’s Kaitlyn Facista, and Happy Hobbit’s Kellie Rice.
Looking forward to seeing all the Ringers there at San Diego Comic Con 2023. While many anticipated a preview of new movies or TV shows from The Lord of the Rings, many fans understand and support the efforts of WGA writers and SAG actors to get the best deal that allows the best work. Future adaptations of Tolkien depend on the very best! See you in San Diego!
