July 12, 2003

Tolkien Archives
Jarrickon Falconn

I don't know how many of you read the news at the top of the site, but recently something was put up about the Tolkien Estate hiring a lawyer to shut down a site known as the Tolkien Archives. This is the letter I wrote to that lawyer (I don't know the Tolkien Estate's email address, if they have one):

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Curse you, he who would condemn a site dedicated to the praise of Professer Tolkien!! It's not as if they put up the whole of any of the Mythology's books online. They've merely put up excerpts and things related to the Mythology. Dare not to claim that by putting these things online, they give online access of them to people and thus hurt the Tolkien Estate by discouraging them from purchasing the books. On the contrary, the more decent fan sites there are, the more the Tolkien-obsession will spread among fans and cause them to purchase even more of Prof. Tolkien's work. And what of these "devices in its title banner?" What were they? Runes, or perhaps Tengwar, I presume? How can you infringe a copywright merely by utilizing a language, regardless of whether or not this language is invented (All languages are invented, actually. You don't see the founder of Japanese condemning all of Japan for speaking the tongue of Nihongo)? Oh, and more about these maps and poems: things like that, someone who wants them can walk into any bookstore and copy them down. Actually, in every bookstore I've been in, they let you read the entire book without first buying it. And yet no one frowns on this. Why, I ask you, should fan sites be condemned? I doubt very seriously Master J.R.R. Tolkien would approve of or allow this act of evil. I myself am extremely wroth with all involved. My gratitude to Christopher Tolkien goes as far as him compiling the texts in the Silmarillion and the Histories of Middle-earth, and there it ends.

Namárië, Uruki!
Jarrickon Falconn (One of many who are now extremely irritated)

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Namárië!