Country Squire's Middle Earth Series to be Renamed.

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Chalaw87

Can't Leave
Apr 21, 2021
442
1,606
Northeast TN
The Country Squire has the Middle Earth blends back on the website with the same names. I wonder what changed since earlier this week the blends had been taken off the website.
 
Here's some conjecture, since this seems to be the status quoe... The last three Cease and Desist letters that I got, I threw into the trash after a short phone call with my lawyer. When you get sued, the lawyer HAS to be on your State's Bar. If not, they can't do shit to you. They can't even file. Of course, the C&D letters that I got were complete bullshit anyways.
 

woodsroad

Lifer
Oct 10, 2013
12,706
20,439
SE PA USA
Here's some conjecture, since this seems to be the status quoe... The last three Cease and Desist letters that I got, I threw into the trash after a short phone call with my lawyer. When you get sued, the lawyer HAS to be on your State's Bar. If not, they can't do shit to you. They can't even file. Of course, the C&D letters that I got were complete bullshit anyways.
I got a C&D letter once, from an adjacent property owner’s lawyer. Problem was, his firm was my lawyer, too. End of problem.
 
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jguss

Lifer
Jul 7, 2013
2,647
7,168
When you get sued, the lawyer HAS to be on your State's Bar. If not, they can't do shit to you. They can't even file. Of course, the C&D letters that I got were complete bullshit anyways.

Actually if the other side is serious the first big fight will be over jurisdiction. If they can argue that for whatever reason the infraction took place in a location that’s not where you reside then just arguing over governing law will be a ferocious and expensive process and your cost of defense will skyrocket. Just being forced to defend yourself in a different State or Country increases costs exponentially. Plus of course some jurisdictions are notoriously more plaintiff friendly.

The reality is if the Tolkien estate wants to enforce its rights it has many avenues to do so, emphatically including spending the defendant into the ground.
 
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anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
16,662
31,236
46
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
See, take some shit that ain't selling, slap a LOTR name on it, and you suckers fine forum members will line up to buy the shit that no one wanted before. Power of suggestion just upped the tobacco's game.

None of those LOTR tobaccos are really anything special. I mean, they're ok... decent enough for the power of suggestion to take over.

Admit it... Take Ol Toby and slap the name Todd's Socks on the blend. Are you going to buy it?
of course todds socks raises so many questions! Mostly why and what?!?
 

anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
16,662
31,236
46
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
Are they just having to rename the middle-earth series, as "Middle-Earth" is copyrighted? Surely the JRRT estate hasn't copyrighted "green dragon" and such.
sometimes people exploit the threat of going to court even if their claim has no merit or questionable merit. According to some lawyer the name isn't copywritten but the charactors can be. Example you could make a harry potter story but not if he's a dorky wizard.