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Although I understand the sentiment most of you are expressing, I can't really share it fully. At some point in time Tolkien sold the film rights for The Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit, not, I imagine, because he thought that it would further his artistic goals, but rather to make a buck. He could of course not foresee that this would lead to M-E styled on-line gambling many years later, and if he did, perhaps he would've made a different decision, but as it is, that's a moot question. He did make the deal, and now the present owners are trying to make the most out of that investment, unsurprisingly.

If you don't like the way they milk the franchise to the last drop, don't buy the products. Convince your friends to do likewise. It is after all a (somewhat) free world, and that's how we (most of us) want it.