Amazon and the estate of renowned author J.R.R. Tolkien have petitioned a California federal judge to sanction over $153,000 in attorney fees. This comes after the pair successfully fought a fan-fiction writer’s $250 million copyright lawsuit, which accused them of plagiarising his sequels to ‘Lord of the Rings’. Interestingly, this development occurred mere days after the fan-fiction writer’s legal counsel filed a request to withdraw representation.
In their claim against Amazon and J.R.R. Tolkien’s estate, the plaintiff maintained that the defendants had unjustly exploited his derivative works of the famous Middle-earth saga. This narrative was dismissed as “objectively unreasonable” in the resulting case.
The involvement of the fan-fiction writer’s lawyer is also undergoing changes. After the recent turn of events, the writer’s attorney is now reportedly seeking permission to withdraw from the case. It remains unknown as to what spurred this request, and how it may potentially impact the fan-fiction author’s future legal endeavours.
Click here for more information on the ongoing legal proceedings.