Now the yanks own our heritage

[tigersaw]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-17350103

Local pub to me, hardly a threat to some california company.

Oh, and they are also going after a sarnie bar in Tolkeins home turf.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-15825960


Just because they have no history of their own, no reason to pinch every one else's

[Stingo]

Sometimes, I really wish the Americans would just sod off and leave everyone alone. Who the hell do thy think they are? (disclaimer...this is not aimed at individuals, just the system and those that seem to run it who appear to suffering from some sort of megalomania).

[Bibio]

ahhhh, but how long have they had the rights. the pub has been called the Hobbit for 20+ years so the yanks can go 0898 dooone. just like the fekwits mcdonalds who tried to shut down a cafe in scotland called mcdonalds yes the cafe won as the clan mcdonald said that technically mcdonalds had no right to use their name....

[Sid Squid]

Disgusting. I sincerely hope there's a way that SZC can lose a big pile of money fighting an utterly pointless court case.

[Wideboy]

i thought the hobbit was going bust anyway. The brook is much better

[tigersaw]

Yea, I like the brook. Do they let you youngsters in there?

[metalangel]

The first one I can sort of understand, as they're using the likenesses of the actual stars on all their material!

[Specialone]

It sucks tbh.

The pub can use the name, just not references to the film, which I agree with tbh.

Somebody in the brum cafe thing is telling fibs, this was reported last year on local news, more than 6 months ago which is when the new owner claims she bought it with no knowledge of the issues.


As with the pub, the name in itself isn't a problem, it's using characters and references that they are moaning about, this is correct IMO.

[pookie]

somebody should tell the americans to go around changing their town names as they bear remarkable resemblance to UK towns and cities...bah and another thing ma'am, whats the deal with extradition of people and extending your laws past your geographical jurisdiction? grrrrr

[Wideboy]

Yea, I like the brook. Do they let you youngsters in there?

Youngsters with taste ;)

The brook and the George in fairoak are the two main band pubs I got to, the hobbit is just to weird

[WayneL]

Big companies get really excited when small companies have similar names, and the large firms have better legal departments. :grouphug:

There are a few companies who have gotten away with registering domain names etc before the big boys. I remember some little places winning court cases.

Some of the names you can find make me laugh.

How about http://www.apple-windows.com/

Almost egging them on. :smt056

[tigersaw]

I remember BAA.com was a picture of a sheep for ages.

[WayneL]

i remember baa.com was a picture of a sheep for ages.

lol. :)

[slark01]

The american company that holds the rights of J.R.R. Tolkien think they have a case, however there is evidence to prove that Tolkien did not invent the word, so therefore they do not hold the rights to that word.
From Wiki: The only source known today that makes reference to hobbits in any sort of historical context is the Denham Tracts by Michael Aislabie Denham. More specifically, it appears in the Denham Tracts, edited by James Hardy, (London: Folklore Society, 1895), vol. 2, the second part of a two-volume set compiled from Denham's publications between 1846 and 1859.

The text contains a long list of sprites and bogies, based on an older list, the Discovery of Witchcraft, dated 1584, with many additions and a few repetitions. The term hobbit is listed in the context of

boggleboes, bogies, redmen, portunes, grants, hobbits, hobgoblins, brown-men, cowies, dunnies

In the December 2003 Oxford English Dictionary newsletter, in the "Words of Choice" section, the following appears:
I hope that both the pub and cafe owners take the case to an english court.
This is not for first this kind of thing has happened and will not be the last.

Ste.

[DJFridge]

Just my two penneth, but here goes...

I think the idea of stopping the pub from using the name is ludicrous. SZC need to get a grip as it was being used 10 years before they bought the relevant rights.

However, using images from any film without the permission of the owner is a straightforward breach of copyright. On that charge, the pub is clearly in the wrong. You can't just decide to use a pic of Elijah Wood on your menu. The fact that lots of people do it and don't get caught doesn't make it right.

[tigersaw]

Youngsters with taste ;)

The brook and the George in fairoak are the two main band pubs I got to, the hobbit is just to weird

The George is where the rough boys go :)

[Wideboy]

The George is awesome, one of my fav in Southampton now (if you can call it southampton). easier to get to now as im living round the back of you near the shamblehurst barn so i can walk it when i'm suitably lubricated.


stephen fry is now on board

[tigersaw]

Its probably better now that the real riff raff go to the Lapstone.
I prefer the George from the window of the Indian restaraunt opposite.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/thousands-join-save-the-hobbit-campaign-after-hollywood-firm-threatens-pub-with-legal-action.html

the pubs not changed its website
http://www.thehobbitpub.co.uk/

[embee]

Text from the BBC article-
"JRR Tolkien grew up in the nearby village of Sarehole...."

If only he'd been any good at anagrams. :-dd

[hardhat_harry]

The Hobbit looks like a good pub, just wierd enough but Southhampton is so far away to might as well be Mordor*

*Did you see what I did there