Southampton pub - The Hobbit - threatened with legal action over its name

K

Kathryn G

New member
The put has always been the hobbit, great student haunt now some big film company is demanding they change the name and remove all the Tolkien memoriabiliar.

If you want to add your support to the facebook page for the pub please here is the link:
https://www.facebook.com/#!/SaveTheHobbitSouthampton
 
What right exactly does a US film company have to a work of literature deeply entrenched in British Culture...... an absolute outrage..!!!
 
Well I believe they do have the legal right, but why can't there be some common sense. Apparantly lots of small businesses around the world that incorporate a Tolkien theme are also being targetted.
 
I drive past this place on the way to and from work every day -

BBC News - Hungry Hobbit cafe told to change name

Same thing has happened to them apparently. It is part of our culture and I don't think some big American company should dictate how we celebrate it.
 
I remeraber a small sandwich shop, which was told to stop calling itself, "The Slug and Lettuce".

The owners believed they had thought of this name first and well before the big chain of the same name. But they couldn't afford to fight the action and very quickly just capitulated.

Not forgetting Easy Curry in West Yorkshire, who also similarly capitulated quite quickly too.
 
And when you buy the rights to the novels you then have the rights to the characters and races in them if they are made up.

Like "Hoover" - I don't think companies can call their vacuum cleaners a hoover unless they are actually Hoover. Although people at home will say they are going to hoover the floor... it's different when it's commercial use. That's my take on it at least.
 
Its just a wee bit sad that cases like this come up from time to time and the cynic in me wonders if The Hobbit publicity machine is in action here. Its really just a blow to cottage industries that need the biggest help. Yes, the pub attracts custom from its theme, but why batter it now just because a Hobbit film is out? Its not like there weren't 3 big hobbit films around in recent years.
 
If it was just the name that's one thing, but they have a load of film-specifc things - including images of Elijah Wood and co. from the movies - IMO they are pushing their luck.
 
A bit different than trading off the strength of the name.

Come to The Hobbit pub! Have a Frodo cocktail! It's even Elijah Wood on the menu!
 
yeah i agree entirely with this..... if it was just the name and some memorabilia that's one thing but using the faces of actors all over their promo guff is pushing it.....
 
Presumably when the US company negotiated the film rights with the Tolkein Estate they also got all associated merchandising and trademark rights to the names. The word "Hobbit" is a trademark owned by the Tolkien estate. Maybe they could rename the pub "The Halfling" which isn't trademarked AFAIK and is the term used in Dungeons and Dragons for "legal reasons".
 
I'm not seeing the movie stuff plastered outside the pub, from the article I read yesterday the main artwork was hand drawn graffiti, so maybe I've missed something. But they've gone after a cafe too, way to crush the little guy.
 
As sad as it is its copyright infringement whichever way you look at it. The UK copyright for printed works is the author's life plus 70 years (this was extended from life+50 in 1995 and applied retrospectively) - Tolkein died in 1973, so the copyright would apply until 2043, unless there are further changes. Thats without the negotiation between the film company and the tolkien estate for the rights to "The Hobbit" and film related merchandise.

It just makes me laugh when you go to a funfair and all the rides that have been done up to look like the Matrix or something. I would assume this pub is only doing good things for the Tolkien estate and the film company since it seems so popular judging by the public reaction. What are they going to do, open an official pub?
 
It wouldn't have been fair without the publicity.
The good thing is the people who spoke up made a difference and The Hobbit is a nice pub, part of Southampton's character.
 
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