THE Tolkien Society has been ridiculed after splurging ￡18,000 on some photographs of the author.
Hobbit-loving fans took to social media to mock the vast expense of the purchase.
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Lord of The Rings fans have clashed with The Tolkien Society after the charity splashed ￡18,000 on images of the author Credit: Alamy 2
One said: 'Good to know how my membership would be spent' Credit: New Line
One user jibed: “I was about to join the society. Good to know how my membership would be spent.”
The row blew up after fans’ podcast The Council of Elrond tweeted on Monday a snap of the late literary great to celebrate what would have been his 130th birthday.
The Tolkien Society, a Lord of the Rings-loving education charity, then asked if they had “permission to use” the image.
The Frodo Baggins specialists added: “It’s our photo, we own the copyright, which we bought for ￡18,000 at auction.”
Fans were quick to point out that the picture was readily available online.
One tweeted an edited version of the photo and said: “You can use mine, got it at a yard sale for $1.50.”
The Council of Elrond podcasters insisted they were “unaware of the copyright ownership”. They told The Sun: “We feel they were a little heavy-handed in their handling of the situation.”
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The Tolkien Society defended its auction purchase, insisting it was “incredibly excited” to have acquired the 64 photos of the writer, who died in 1973.
Chairman Shaun Gunner added: “We are grateful for being able to use these photos for many years — and now we are confident their future is secured as part of our growing archives.”
The group said it hoped to generate a “modest income” through the copyright ownership.
Hobbit Frodo Baggins wields 'Sting' sword in Lord of the Rings