A substantial lawsuit between Warner Bros. and the Tolkien estate has been settled over The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.
The dispute between the two parties started back in 2012 when the Tolkien estate alleged that the studio did not have the rights to licence the books’ characters for online slot machines and other types of games.
Warner Bros. then counter sued, claiming that as a result of the estate’s legal challenge they had lost “millions of dollars in license fees” from merchandising.
While the terms of the settlement haven’t been disclosed, a legal filing has said that the two parties have resolved the dispute “amicably”. We also know that no fees have been awarded by the court and that neither party is able to recover costs.
Variety received a statement from WB where a spokesman said: “The parties are pleased that they have amicably resolved this matter and look forward to working together in the future.”
The Tolkien estate has yet to comment.
Originally published July 4, 2017. Updated April 16, 2018.
