Texts from J.R.R. Tolkien and George Orwell have been removed from the public domain in the United States, thanks to a Supreme Court ruling this week.
On Wednesday, The Supreme Court upheld a 1994 law which gives copyright protection to body of foreign works that had previously been available for free in the public domain.
Google hoped that the high court would overturn the law. The Wall Street Journal has more: “Google Inc. was the leading company challenging the law, in an echo of the separate battle in Washington over an Internet piracy bill that pits Google against movie studios. The search company, which didn’t respond to a request for comment, said in court papers that the restored copyrights could affect more than a million books it has scanned through its Google Books Library Project.” More..
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The Guardian writes that recently released documents reveal in 1961 Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” — nominated by friend and fellow fantasy writer CS Lewis — was rejected by the Nobel Prize jury “on the grounds of his second-rate prose.” The news organization reports that though LOTR was “crowned the UK’s best-loved book and sold millions of copies around the world,” the 1961 jury believed the book “has not in any way measured up to storytelling of the highest quality.”
We can guess what your reaction is — share your thoughts on our message boards.
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“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.” — J.R.R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein, S.A., on January 3, 1892. He would eventually move to England, become an accomplished linguist and scholar, an Oxford professor and a beloved husband and father. While in his twenties, he began developing a series of stories that went on to become the rich, complex history of a place called Middle-earth: a world that millions would eventually visit, both on the written page and on the big screen, and come to love. TheOneRing.net raises a glass to “The Professor!” today, in honor of all the enjoyment and camaradarie his birth, and life, has lead to. Thank you, professor Tolkien!
And don’t forget, today is the annual Tolkien Society’s Birthday Toast to Professor Tolkien. For complete details on the toast, jump on over to the Tolkien Society’s website. [Tolkien Toast]
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Wellington is set to get a permanent organized Tolkien fan group thanks to Jack of the Noldor Blog.
He’s organized six “Wellymoots” over the past year, and the most recent one set plans in place to form a Wellington chapter of the Tolkien Society. It’s been long overdue. I’m late with this news, but thought it timely to post for Tolkien’s birthday here!
Read more.
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Join in the Tolkien Toast 2012 and come celebrate the professors birthday at our annual toast. Tuesday, Jan 3rd, 2012, 7pm, at the Cat and the Fiddle in Hollywood. 6530 West Sunset Blvd, LA, CA 90028. Valet parking is cheap ($6) and recommended. Please bring cash to pay for your dinner, it makes things so much easier when the bill come around. Costumes are not required, but Costume lite if inclined to do so. For more info, visit our Facebook site. [Learn more about Tolkien Toast 2012]
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The Tolkien Society writes: On the 3rd January 1892 JRR Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa. To celebrate this event, on this day each year Tolkien fans around the world are invited to raise a glass and toast the birthday of this much loved author 21:00 (9 pm) your local time. The toast is “The Professor”.
For those unfamiliar with British toast-drinking ceremonies: To make the Birthday Toast, you stand, raise a glass of your choice of drink (not necessarily alcoholic), and say the words ‘The Professor’ before taking a sip (or swig, if that’s more appropriate for your drink). Sit and enjoy the rest of your drink.
The Tolkien Society has a webpage for the 2012 toast where fans across the globe can let other fans know where they’ll be celebrating if they’re hosting a party, or just what particular tipple they’ll be raising. Fans will be able to check the webpage and see who is celebrating where and if they wish to get in touch and join in. Or, you can add your own gathering.
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