Warner Brothers Sued for $80M by J.R.R. Tolkien Estate

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It's a been rough week for the producers of the Hobbit, first the rampant animal abuse allegations and now this...an eighty million dollar lawsuit. If you've ever played the Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring: Online Slot Game, The Tolkien estate would like to make sure that never happens again. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the estate representing the late fantasy author has filed an eighty million dollar lawsuit against Warner Brothers and it's new line subsidiary for unauthorized merchandising of the Tolkien stories through digital exploitations...like this online slot machine game.
The suit claims Warner Brothers has overstepped the boundaries of a 43-year old licensing agreement with increasing boldness since the success of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, mainly when it comes to gambling games on the internet. These games, according to the estate, do quote irreparable harm to Tolkien's legacy and reputation and the valuable goodwill generated by his works. The estate also cited outrage from Tolkien's die hard fans, and their disappointment in seeing these morally questionable online casino games linked to Tolkien's wholesome literary works.
Of course, this isn't the first time Warner Brothers has had to fend off rights disputes, a previous lawsuit over profits from the lord of the rings was successfully settled. But it doesn't look like things will end the same way this time, as settlement talks have apparently failed.
Just weeks before the Hobbit hits theatres, this isn't the only big blow that's come Warner Brothers way as of late. Peter Jackson continues to defend allegations of animal abuse on the hobbit set with a lengthy statement on his Facebook account. His statement includes testimonies from Hobbit actors, veterinarians and farmers standing up for Warner Brothers and striking down the quote wild claims made by PETA.
That post has been inundated with support from Peter Jackson's fans, most defending the Oscar winning director and saying this scandal will have no bearing on their decision to see the Hobbit opening weekend on December 14th. So what do you guys make of all this? Do you think the lord of the rings slot machine games truly are damaging to Tolkien's legacy? And do you think PETA's animal abuse claims hold any water? Sound off in the comments below. I'm Simone Boyce in Hollywood and I'll see ya next time.