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The Hobbit Pub In Southampton Faces Legal Battle Over Its Name

First Posted: 13/03/2012 12:20 Updated: 13/03/2012 16:58

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The Hobbit Pub
The Hobbit pub faces a struggle

It's an epic, blockbuster-style struggle - but this one is about a small pub versus a Hollywood lawyer.

The Hobbit pub in Southampton has been threatened with legal action by the Saul Zaentz Company (SZC), which owns exclusive merchandising rights to certain JRR Tolkien classics, including The Hobbit.

Dubbed the best pub in Southampton in 2007 it has held the name for over 20 years and hosts live music and open-mic nights.

Landlady Stella Roberts told the Southhampton Echo that they were "stunned" by the action: “We just haven’t got the resources to fight it. How can I take on a multi-million pound power?," she asked.

“It’s not just a case of changing the name – it’s all the merchandise, artwork, absolutely everything. We never planned to steal anybody else’s ideas – we’re all such huge fans of Tolkien that it’s more like a homage.”

Fans of the pub have launched a campaign to 'Save The Hobbit', with a Facebook group attracting over 3,000 supporters.

Campaigners have sent a message to the estate of The Hobbit's author, asking for support writing: "We believe the pub to be a brilliant place that does more good than harm to the world of Tolkien's writings and any adaptations thereof, acting as an advertisment to Middle Earth rather than simply stealing ideas."

Previously movie tycoons from SZC tried to stop a Scottish holiday firm calling their lodges "hobbit houses."

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It's an epic, blockbuster-style struggle - but this one is about a small pub versus a Hollywood lawyer. The Hobbit pub in Southampton has been threatened with legal action by the Saul Zaentz Compan...
It's an epic, blockbuster-style struggle - but this one is about a small pub versus a Hollywood lawyer. The Hobbit pub in Southampton has been threatened with legal action by the Saul Zaentz Compan...
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
edejan
2300 Fans
20:58 on 13/12/2012
The words "hobbit" and "orc" have pretty much entered the lexicon, so I can't see any ethical enforcement of so-called copyright laws for their use.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Norman Mitchison
92 Fans
 
12:02 on 14/03/2012
Lawyers out for grabs again. Typical greedy leeches. Tell them where to go.The Hobbit in Southampton!
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Makalha
Opinions are not facts.
122 Fans
11:41 on 14/03/2012
I wonder when ZSC bought the rights ? If it was less than 20 years ago and the pub already had this name can they still sue ?
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kagoose2
16 Fans
10:15 on 14/03/2012
This copyright business is getting out of hand. I was looking to buy an ebook and the small print stated that I was not to let anyone else read it or to read it aloud to anyone else. The big boys are bullying their way through the little people and buying off the law making establishment to make sure they get their own way. It's not even theirs really, Tolkien was the genius they are just the money grabbers.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Kehlan Sutai Inigan
32 Fans
10:00 on 14/03/2012
I am all for them being allowed to keep the name, theyve been using it for around twenty years apparently. However, they ARE using images from the film to promote their business and this, at the very least, will have to stop if they wish to win their fight. Take a look at their website - its easy enough to find via google. They have image of Elijah Woods as Frodo and Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn on their site. Now generally, you'll get away with it if you are non profit making - a fan site for example, but if you are making money from the movie (and images from the movie are included in this) then you have to apply for a licence to do so and pay the appropriate fees to the owners of the movie.

did you know there is also a little Cafe in Birmingham called the Hungry Hobbit, who are also being sued for the same reason? In their case though (to the best of my knowledge) they are NOT using film images.
I suspect that due to the impending release of the Hobbit movie, the film company have been using google to find out what sort of publicity the movie is getting and what people are saying about it, and of course, these websites turned up in the search, hence them suddenly getting solicitors letters to cease and desist. What a shame.
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ledolesly
3 Fans
09:47 on 14/03/2012
the yanks have never ben our friends,Just our BOSSES
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tickeli
29 Fans
05:02 on 14/03/2012
"Saul Zaentz Company (SZC), It's all in the name.
I wonder if there would be the same reaction if the Pub was owned by Rupert Murdoch or another prominent chosen person? David and Goliath come to mind.

Could it be argued that the word 'Hobbit' has been in the Dictionary for many years, (mine is a 1991 edition), so SCZ if wishing to retain the 'rights' should have had it removed? In not doing so SCZ have allowed the word to enter the English language and become a generic word that is commonly used freely.
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mgibo1
42 Fans
21:56 on 13/03/2012
Perhaps we will see the Landlady extradited to the USA to stand trial and be threatened with 10 years in jail. It seems to be the current fashion. We seem to have a copyright culture fast catching up with the compensation culture.
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Dadf4u
1 Fans
09:53 on 14/03/2012
I did not think it was possible to hold copyright in a title
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mgibo1
42 Fans
13:46 on 14/03/2012
It looks like the entertainment industry wants to copyright everything.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
mirola
Read between the lines
42 Fans
20:21 on 13/03/2012
20 years it was fine and now, when the films comes out/ is coming it's not right, eeehm?
All about money, as usual.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Saint wright
Dyslexic old chippy
307 Fans
 
19:55 on 13/03/2012
What did Frodo say when he saw the trees dancing?

"That’s ENT-tertainment!"
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
madHenry
He came; he saw; he bummed everybody out; he left
704 Fans
23:06 on 13/03/2012
"TREE?!? I am no TREE!" -- Treebeard
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Electrastar
66 Fans
18:23 on 13/03/2012
There was a case brought against a man in the 70's who call his shop "Arrod's" so Harrod's of Knightsbridge took him to court because "Arrod's" sounded too much like the well known shop. After the court case the shop owner agreed to alter the name.

He simple called his shop...."Not Arrod's" and there was nothing Harrods could do.
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stjohnt6
10 Fans
17:54 on 13/03/2012
i'm sure the Tolkien family could help out here by giving them their consent to use the name.
are pubs call the green dragon or the prancing pony going to be sued too will Britain no longer be able to call the counties Shires?
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
mfa11e
Tell the truth ,regardless
203 Fans
17:41 on 13/03/2012
Think the pub should befriend a few Orcs for self protection
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rrcwmgwrach
17 Fans
17:25 on 13/03/2012
HAVING HELD THE NAME FOR 20 YEARS . WELL BEFORE THE FILMS CAME OUT AND HOBBIT IS A NAME RECOGISED IN THE ENGLISH DICTIONARY. WHY DO THE NOT COUNTER SUE FOR ROYALTIES FOR USING THE PUBS NAME
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gimmeanamethen
saying it like it is
80 Fans
 
17:18 on 13/03/2012
what a load of baloney.

my mate was nicknamed the hobbit, so are they going to come over and demand he changes his nickname?
hope they get their @rse kicked and stop wasting money and people's time.
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