Tolkien Estate, Amazon Infringed Copyrighted Works in TV Series, Says Suit

Amazon Studios, Simon Tolkien and the Tolkien Estate copied characters, storylines and images from plaintiff Demetrious Polychron, alleges a Friday copyright infringement lawsuit (docket 2:23-cv-02831) in U.S. District Court for Western California in Los Angeles. Polychron, a Los Angeles resident, asserts the defendants infringed his copyrighted work in the TV series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (ROP). Polychron received a copyright for his work, The Fellowship of the King (TFOTK), Nov. 21, 2017, alleges the complaint. The copyright infringement suit, which also names then-Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and “Does 1-100,” alleges Polychron made several attempts to reach J.R.R. Tolkien’s grandson Simon Tolkien, asking for review of his manuscript but received no response. Two years later, Polychron retained counsel to contact the Tolkien Estate and related entities, giving detailed descriptions of his book “with request for review and collaboration.” Defendants’ counsel “rebuffed any attempt at collaboration” the next day. A few weeks later, Polychron delivered a copy of the TFOTK manuscript, identified with a copyright symbol, to Tolkien’s Santa Barbara, Calif., home, “hoping he would review the manuscript and reconsider collaboration,” the complaint said. About three weeks later, he requested return of the manuscript and advised Tolkien he would publish it, plus six more books in the series. Amazon Studios and The Tolkien Estate agreed to create ROP in November 2017; the Tolkien Estate paid Amazon Studios $250 million for rights to the series “that ultimately copied Polychron’s book” and has earned defendants more since its release, the complaint alleges. Despite inspiration from Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, Polychron developed “a wholly original book and concept” for his works that “compose as much as one-half of the 8-episode series as release and published by Defendants.” In addition, defendants “copied images that match the book cover and descriptions as created in the book as authored by Polychron,” it said. Defendants have since, “in blatant disregard for their infringing use of Polychron’s creation,” registered seven copyrighted works in the ROW series, it said. Plaintiff seeks an injunction against alleged copyright infringement, abandonment of cited copyright registrations, damages due to unfair trade practices, profits and advantages not less than $250 million, plus legal costs.