Tolkien Estates opened to licence discussions?

[Gildor]

As some of you may have seen, Christopher Tolkien has resigned and stepped down from Tolkien Estates.
the other officers settled down the sue between Warner Bros and the Estate about matters of copyrights and going beyond MEE licence...

Now, in the last days we heard that Amazon signed with Tolkien Estates and Harper Collins for TV series rights to produce material prior to LotR which means that someday, eventually we'll see the contect of the Silmarillion and the Unfinished tales (if not more) release on screen (tv or more). Actually it was the Estates themselves who contacted HBO, Netflix and Amazon in order to offer TV rights... not the other way around (which is quite surprising) and the deal seems to have been won by Amazon for nearly $500 Millions oO

Now I ask myself... For years, Mithril has been unable to produce ANY figurine related to characters or Events from the Silm. or the Unfinished Tales. Though that has not always been the case (see the Turin and Black Sword series in the past)

I was just wondering (and I would like to ask Mithril) if now is not the time to enter in discussion with the Estates to check with them if they would be ok to let Mithril produce figurines from the old books? that would be Awesome I think, and now that Christopher Tolkien has no more say in it, I'm sure they would not have anything against it... most of all considering how Mithril figurines are true to the books.


Michaël, could you pass along this idea to Lars and Chris to see what they think about that? that'd be a great opportunity. Providing Mithril is willing to go there, of course, assuming such a "new licence" would not cost millions of course but we can't compare tv shoes, and small business collector figurines...

[Axel]

Not sure wether it was more a habit then set into the actual writing... perhaps if Mithril just sends a 1st or 2nd age character over for approvement, we may see wether rules have changed. Having a wider range would certainly open up a new creative era here for some time.

[Gildor]

Axel, the problem would be, who to send it for approvment? the MEE (those who provide licencing for LOTR and Hobbit) have no ruling about other works...and the tolkien estates has not yet built up into a licencing industry...

it's hard to send anything for licence approvment when no licencing yet exists, the only thing that could be done at the moment is discussing possibilities...

[Axel]

I thought that all minis by Mithril have to be approved by TE (or whoever issued the license)?

[Gildor]

Tolkien Enterprises (now named MEE : Middle Earth Enterprises) only owns licences for Lord of the Rings and Hobbit... they can't provide licencing for other material because there is no such licencing and because Tolkien Estates has always been strict on not letting anything else getting produced.

But with this new deal made between Amazon, Harper Collins, Tolkien Estates and New Line, at the initiative of the Tolkien Estates, cards are on the table. Until now, Tolkien Estates have never issued "production rights" for anything, that was not their job... but they just did for the TV shows which makes a precedent for "licencing" such stuff...

Now Only the Tolkien Estates could legitimate any production made from other written sources. MEE can't say anything in this case

[Michael O'Brien]

Nov 16, 2017 17:47:11 GMT Gildor said:

I was just wondering (and I would like to ask Mithril) if now is not the time to enter in discussion with the Estates to check with them if they would be ok to let Mithril produce figurines from the old books? that would be Awesome I think, and now that Christopher Tolkien has no more say in it, I'm sure they would not have anything against it... most of all considering how Mithril figurines are true to the books.


Michaël, could you pass along this idea to Lars and Chris to see what they think about that? that'd be a great opportunity. Providing Mithril is willing to go there, of course, assuming such a "new licence" would not cost millions of course but we can't compare tv shoes, and small business collector figurines...

Our license is with MEE and they are in negotiations themselves in regard to the new situation. We would of course love to expand our license but how that is achieved is not immediately obvious. You can be sure Lars is aware of the situation.

[Gildor]

this is great to hear ! please let us know if things happen to become possible in the future that would be wonderful and open lots of ideas (both for GF suggestions but certainly for regular releases too)

I'd even eventually end up submitting a MX of very famous scene from silm.

[Happy Ent]

With the whole licencing buisness changing, is there a chance, that we will eventually see the two unreleased Warbands Half-Orcs of Isengardand and Iron-Hill Dwarves released?

[Gildor]

the test castings were sold years ago on ebay Happy Ent, some of us managed to get them. I doubt there are others to be found anymore alas. You can find all the pics of them on my site on MMP
here : mithril.faerylands.eu/galleries/uniques-and-rarities-gallery/unreleased-warband-iron-hill-dwarves-/

and there : mithril.faerylands.eu/galleries/uniques-and-rarities-gallery/unreleased-warband-half-orcs-of-isengard-/

but this is slightly off topic

the licence problem was about wargaming sets release, not about what was depicted in the sets

[Happy Ent]

I know the pictures and have been wanting to have them ever since, for I collect mainly dwarven miniatures and Mithhril is one of my favorite manufacturers and I really like the look oft he Mithril Dwarves.


A pity, that they were not allowed to be released and that the current situation does not seem to change this.


I know that my chances of getting them are very very slim at best, but I try not loose my hope. So if anyone should have one or more that he would trade or sell, please let me know!