Stella Roberts, who has run the Hobbit in Bevois Valley for 20 years, became the subject of global press attention earlier this year when she was accused of copyright infringement by the Saul Zaentz Company, which owns the rights to a number of brands associated with author JRR Tolkien, including The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
The pub is now conducting a range of fund-raising events to help raise money to pay for the legal fees.
Film producer Paul Zaentz had contacted Southampton newspaper the Daily Echo and suggested the pub would be asked to pay a nominal licence fee of $100 a year — about £63 — to keep trading with the name.
However, Roberts has admitted she is still in the dark about the situation. She told the Publican’s Morning Advertiser: “A licence fee would be in everyone’s interest, but the fact that I have had to sign a confidentiality agreement suggests it is not going to be as clear as we initially thought.
“The worst-case scenario is that we can keep the name, but have to lose all the theming, because we couldn’t carry on doing what we have done without it. Part of the fun is coming in and ordering a Frodo or a Gandalf, so it would affect trade.
“It is frustrating because we are coming up to freshers’ week, which is when we freshen up the pub and put new offers on. We just want to know what’s going on.”
A Punch Taverns spokesperson said: “At present we have no update on the legal proceedings. Punch is doing its utmost to support Stella by offering to cover legal costs and has assisted in the pub’s fund-raising events, as well as supplying marketing and PR support for the events.”
Earlier this year, in a letter sent to Roberts, Zaentz said she would face legal action if she didn’t change the name of her pub, and strip it of all Tolkien-inspired theming.