Xenite.Org News

Tolkien Enterpises issues cease and desist to Shirepost.com

March 03, 2003 at 01:33:49

The ShirePost.Com, a popular fan site offering postal services to fans of J.R.R. Tolkien, has been ordered to cease and desist immediately.

According to site operator Tom Maringer, nearly a year after he submitted a proposal to Tolkien Enterprises to license his innovative Middle-earth coins and drop-mail postal service (employing Shire stamps and postmarks), Tolkien Enterprises has rejected his request and demanded that he cease operations immediately.

Fan projects often run afoul of intellectual property rights owners, but ever since New Line Cinema picked up merchandising rights associated with the Peter Jackson films, independnet licensing deals have made news mostly through legal battles and rejections.

The Shire Post Web site, while intended to help increase readers and gamers' enjoyment of Tolkien's world, ran into the very real world of licensing pitfalls.

Our hats are off to a fellow fan who, realizing that he might have something of value, tried to work out a deal with the right people. Maybe it was just a matter of timing.

Of course, all one needs to do is change the names to avoid use of Tolkien Enterprises' trademarks, and....