A cafe in Mosely, Birmingham called the Hungry Hobbit is less than 200 yards away from one of J.R.R. Tolkien’s childhood homes. The shop, lined with pictures from The Lord of the Rings, has been in operation for six years, and has become a hangout for a wide variety of people in the community.
The newest owner, Wendy Busst, was shocked when she received a letter from representatives of the Tolkien estate and The Saul Zaentz Company, informing her that the cafe was in violation of trademark. “The letter came out of the blue,” she said. The letter was titled “Unauthorized Use of Hobbit,” and said “Only those who qualify for trademark license may use Hobbit and other marks registered by SZC.”
Busst stated, “If we did have to change the name, I would have to change all of my menus, the shop fascia, and the sign on the van.” But according to the letter, the cafe must “phase out any use of the name Hungry Hobbit within a reasonable time.”
One Comment