Film Rights to First & Second Age

[Sauron the White]

Mr. Hicklin... you previously told me this

There is NO grey area. There are no overlapping rights. There is no ambiguity, except in your fevered imagination. NONE.

You have been fair and good enough to walk through the previous exercise with me regarding the rights held by the currents LOTR film rights holder and rights held to future films in the hands of the Estate. The films I presented you with were in made up of the same events.

Do you still insist that there are no overlapping rights?

Regarding the second half of your post:

However

A) it ain't gonna happen

B) the issue turns on whether JRRT sold UA an exclusive or non-exclusive license. If the latter, the Estate is free to sell another license to somebody else

C) the issue also turns on whether the JRRT/UA contract explicitly excluded the Elder Days- which well it might. Tolkien was very protective of that material.

allow me to address each -
A) My rather limited abilities do not enable me to look into the future. As such I will leave that to those who can give me tomorrows lottery numbers today.
B)YES - however do you think the right to make films from LOTR is an exclusive license - and I realize you are not privvy to the contracts. I would have to believe that it is an exclusive license but I would be willing to be proven wrong.
C) In the absence of proof for such a claim, we have to proceed as if no such exclusion existed. But again, if you have proof I would be willing to be proven wrong.

Regardless, none of that has any impact on your statement chastising me and questioning my mental processes for stating that there were areas of overlap in the rights held by each party. I believe that has been clearly demonstrated with your able assistance.