The verdict: All win in settlement of 'Lord of the Rings' suit, even Warners

September 09, 2009 The heirs of J.R.R. Tolkien aren't the only ones raising their goblets to celebrate Tuesday's settlement of the "Lord of the Rings" litigation. Fans of Tolkien's "The Hobbit" can toast to the news that Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro can move forward on two planned movies for Warner Bros. and MGM, and charities as diverse as the Save the Children Fund and the World Cancer Research Foundation -- both beneficiaries of the Tolkien Trust, which will receive a huge chunk of the settlement -- can expect a windfall soon. When all is said and done, "Rings" will go down as one the of the most-litigated franchises in movie history, and it's not surprising why.

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