2 years ago
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A judge is barring J.R.R. Tolkien's estate from going after punitive damages against the studio that turned "Lord of the Rings" into a big-screen trilogy. Tolkien's heirs accuse New Line Cinema of not paying any royalties from the estimated 6 billion dollars they say the movie has grossed worldwide. The lawsuit wants more than 150 million in compensatory damages based on breach of contract, fraud and other claims. The judge also has ruled that the estate and Tolkien heirs have established a legal basis for the fraud claim against New Line. Among other things, the Tolkien family accuses New Line of sending millions of dollars to New Line's cousin company, AOL, improperly claiming they were for advertising expenses for the movie.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
