The New(ish) Tolkien Estate Copyright FAQ

[Thinlómien]

I'm someone who hardly keeps up with news about the Tolkien Estate, but I couldn't avoid an uproar on social media a couple of months ago that was caused by the new FAQ of the Estate. I didn't see any discussion on the 'Downs about this, so I thought I might as well start it.

Here's the new policy: Frequently Asked Questions

So no events or fan clubs or zines without the permission of the Estate. No fan fiction. No documentaries. No composing music to Tolkien's words, no use of Tolkien's languages except for the most strictly private purposes. You want to name a park after Tolkien? Tough luck, it's a trademark. And no public Tolkien readings either without a permission.

I'm quite appalled. The copyright debate in fandom has been going on for decades, and while I understand they want to preserve Tolkien's legacy and they need to make some kind of a statement to protect the copyright legally, I am not really happy about the example they're setting with this. So many people around the world love Tolkien, and their love is what keeps his works alive. Now the Estate wants to limit how people are allowed to express that love. I don't think the Professor himself would have approved banning making music to his words, for instance. It all seems very... mean-spirited and little to me, like Sharkey's rules. Especially since we're talking about an author who's been dead for decades and whose children have now all passed as well. This all isn't as personal for the Tolkien family as it used to be.

Thoughts?