[Sauron the White]

I am not arguing that the Tolkien Estate needs to do anything in these matters at this time. Regardless of if it is in their interest or not. Copyright law being what it is, it looks like the legal protections extend to the year 2043 some 70 years after the death of JRRT. That is 36 years from now so the problem is not one that will be encountered soon. In fact, The Estate and its officials can well ignore this problem for the next three decades. The "problem" I refer to is the lapse of copyright protections on the world of Middle-earth.

Yes - I do understand that the Estate will employ various legal strategies to extend these legal protections and thwart Middle-earth stories even after this time.

Yes - I do understand that a certain hardcore Tolkien following will resist any efforts to introduce new works in exactly the same spirit that we have seen evidenced here.

Yes - I do understand that there will always be a hard and firm difference which can never be changed or altered between what was written by JRRT and anyone else no matter how good or how bad.

Speaking for myself - and not trying to foist anything on anyone be it my opinion, my predictions for the future, or anything else - I simply would like to see many of the gaps filled in regarding the tales and histories of Middle-earth. I would like to see talented writers tell many of the tales about events, dates and people that are now only briefly sketched out or mentioned. I would enjoy this a great deal.

Regardless of how anyone intreprets the words of JRRT in his letters, I do think this is in the spirit of his statement.

I think it is a self fulfilling prophect to take a position which essentially says:
- nobody can ever write anything about Middle-earth other than JRRT other than obscure fan fiction which is read by a small cadre of people outside of the main literary world
- anything written by anyone else will not be as good, would most likely be crap or garbage so should be discouraged at all cost
- current followers of JRRT will never accept it regardless of quality or sanction so the Estate should keep arms length from ever even considering official sanction.

If those positions prevail, then what will happen is that in some 36 years much of what you fear will come true.

What I would like to see: ideally - some sort of effort every few years where writers across the world are asked to submit stories of Middle-earth to a group set up by the Estate and their official publishers. A vetting process could be employed to insure quality and historical accuracy within the canon of work that we have now. Rules could be laid down to tell writers they cannot change anything that Tolkien already has established within that world. Then a book published - perhaps every few years - of authorized Middle-earth stories which clearly state who wrote them and they are not the work of JRRT, Christopher or anyone else Tolkien. I think that would be the best compromise that we could see.

But thats just my opinion. It i not intended as a strategy for the Estate or anyone else. Its just what I would like to see. I do think that the sales response to CHILDREN OF HURIN - an old tale being disguised and marketed as a "new book" shows that there is a thirst out there for more Middle-earth.