Save the Shire!

by 29 replies
35
If you are a Tolkien fan, love hobbits and the Shire, we need your help!

This is about the Saul Zaentz Company, who, three months ago, filed to get the word "Shire" trademarked. They already have the word "hobbit" trademarked and are going after some small businesses in England who just happen to have the word in their business name or product materials.


Read more about it here.


Why are we concerned? Because there are many hobbyists, artists, fan-sites, small businesses, even towns in England with "Shire" in their names. After all, Shires have existed in England for centuries.


If the Saul Zaentz Company acquires the trademark to "Shire", my 5 year-old site raisingtheshire.com could also be shut down. And that would be a sad thing for me, a Tolkien fan and a lover of the lore of Middle Earth, and who holds hobbits and the Shire very dear to my heart.


We think greed is a very nasty thing. So we must fight against a greedy corporation who is acting separately from the Tolkien Estate. If J.R.R. were alive, he wouldn't stand for this nonsense and he would have fought too, we're sure.


Please help by spreading the word. When tweeting or posting, please use the official hashtag, #savetheshire as well to tag @middleearthnews on twitter or facebook.com/middleearthnews.


thank you!
#off topic forum
  • I'm just about to move to the Sutherland Shire in Sydney.
    What will they call that?
    • [2] replies
    • I know! It's ridiculous, isn't it?
    • Actually every local administration region in Australia not big enough to qualify as a town is officially a "Shire".

      Since all of these, as well as the English counties, predate even Professor Tolkien using the term Shire, Mr Zaentz doesn't have a leg to stand on.

      Every court in Australia as well as the UK will throw any lawsuit/injunction out of court before it even gets started.
      • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • Hobbit Actors Stephen Fry & Ian McKellen Pay License For Hobbit Pub
    from the nice-of-them dept

    Hobbit Actors Stephen Fry & Ian McKellen Pay License For Hobbit Pub | Techdirt
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
    • [2] replies

    • yes, this is fantastic, and they are also helping spread awareness about the "Shire" trademark issue.
      • [1] reply
    • Saw this on our local news and thought April the 1st had come early. Hope Sir Ian does visit always wanted to meet him.
  • Since when does getting a patent on a word mean you can wipe out all pre-existing uses? All it takes is one or two of those entities (towns most likely) to contest that patent and the company is done. Even if they did patent it, there would be no way for them to force everyone to change town names. Is the town of Berkshire going to be confused with one of their products?

    This all sounds like a publicity stunt to me.
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
    • [1] reply
  • The "shire" trademark is being contested. Since there are many uses of the word "Shire" that predate Tolkien's usage of the term, the contest should prevail. Unless there are some forms of really new and whacked out trademark laws. Actually - what could stop a town, of say West Shire, that was in existence before Tolkien's books from suing whatever entity owns the Tolkien content now?

    Whether real or just a lot of publicity -- it's a real wad of crap. Or should I say "Hobbit Crapshire".
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • What about the one owned by my friend Will? Wilshire.
  • Sadly I can see corporation America allowing such a stupid thing to go through.

    A bit off topic here,but is anyone else missing their thank button?
    • [1] reply
    • I have my thank you button, Kim

      Do you have yours yet?

      Terra
  • Nope,i Had it last night,but I didn't think I used it that much.Maybe I did and it will come back later.I was just wondering if it was me or the forum. Thanks Terra.

    Now back to our regularly scheduled thread......
    • [1] reply
    • thanks all, for your input on this thread. I think it's all BS, and I don't think it's going to fly. I hope I'm right.

      The Saul Zaentz Company would be tied up in too many legal battles, l would think. It should be interesting to see how everything unfolds in the next while.

      You'd be surprised at how passionate Tolkien fans are and how many are willing to fight this. It's actually quite awesome
      • [2] replies
  • When The Silmarillion in was first published in the states,the made a mistake and said one of his previous works was Father Giles of Ham instead of Farmer Giles of Ham.Well a first edition with a misprint was speculated it might be worth money one day so when the corrected version was put out I used it as my reading copy and stashed away the first edition.
    Alas, it really isn't worth much more than face value,even now,but I'm still glad I have it.
    • [1] reply

    • Well, you can see how easy it is to lose things like that in translation - given that they were transposing it from English, to English...
      • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • Hail Karen!

    I am a Founder over at Middle-earth Network.

    Just wanted to say thank you for offering your support!

    Save the Shire - Help Save the Shire!
  • MAN, someone needs to start ENFORCING THE LAW! A common name is NOT supposed to be trademarkable! A you are RIGHT about shire! What is next City? State? Providence? Country? Europe? USA? GIVE ME A BREAK!

    Steve
    • [1] reply
    • You're right. Imagine the band Kansas trying to make their name a trademark. Same thing with Boston.

      They can trademark their logo design, but not the name itself.
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    Save the Shire!

    If you are a Tolkien fan, love hobbits and the Shire, we need your help! This is about the Saul Zaentz Company, who, three months ago, filed to get the word "Shire" trademarked. They already have the word "hobbit" trademarked and are going after some small businesses in England who just happen to have the word in their business name or product materials.