The fortune of JRR Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings, has successfully defeated a cryptocurrency that calls itself “One Token That Regulates All”.
The JRR Token cryptocurrency launched in August, with a website featuring hobbit rings, holes, and a wizard that bears a resemblance to Gandalf.
But the Tolkien estate, which handles the rights to JRR Tolkien’s Hobbits and Lord of the Rings fiction, quickly filed a complaint with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the global forum for intellectual property policy.
It noted that the cryptocurrency’s website domain infringed its trademark. Tolkien’s novels have been made into a Hollywood trilogy, directed by Peter Jackson and starring Ian McKellen.
In response, attorneys for Matthew Jensen, the Florida-based developer of JRR Token, said that “token” is a generic term, not to be confused with the Tolkien surname, and that it does not infringe any proprietary rights. any wisdom.
But WIPO The board’s decision concluded that there was no doubt that the developer was “aware of Tolkien’s works and created a website at the expense of the reputation of these works”.
Tolkien said it has now restored the JRRToken.com domain name and has received a commitment from the developer to stop all activities under the JRR Token name and remove any infringing content from all websites and social media accounts. relevant association.
Steven Maier, an attorney at the law firm Maier Blackburn who acted for the JRR Tolkien estate, said it was a “particularly clear case of breach” and added that the estate was “vigilant” about prevent unauthorized parties from taking advantage of the JRR Tolkien name.
In the past, Tolkien estate has sued travel and merchandise companies for using author names and literary works but this is the first time they have taken action against cryptocurrencies.
Johnson Dalal, the US law firm representing Jensen, has been contacted for comment, but had not yet responded at the time of publication.
