Speaking from personal experience, I recently talked to New Line Cinemas
about a limited license to reproduce some of the LOTR movies' embroidery
designs. I was nixed even before I could find out how much it might cost
me. I was told that I could under no circumstances reproduce the designs
(I'm pretty sure that their instructions included or implied both giving
away and selling - I'm not going to test it). Between the movie company and
the estate of the author (which I always misspell so I won't type it), they
are very possessive/protective of the rights to anything associated with
the estate.
I can't blame them, and I've stepped away (hopefully gracefully), if for no
other reason than I respect their rights to decide what can and can't be
done. Besides, their lawyers are better paid than my lawyer and there are
more of them.
