Hergé Foundation


The Hergé Foundation, known in French as Moulinsart, and formerly known as Studios Hergé, is the official organization that looks after the world of Hergé and his creation The Adventures of Tintin, along with his other comics like Quick & Flupke and Jo, Zette and Jocko. Created from Studios Hergé in 1987 by Fanny Rodwell, Hergé's widow, the Hergé Foundation is a not-for-profit organization based in Brussels, the birthplace of the creator of Tintin. It runs Hergé's estate, the official Tintin website, and the Hergé museum.

Moulinsart

The name "Moulinsart" was chosen as the name for the foundation's commercial and copyright wing, set up to actively work to protect and promote the work of Hergé. It is named after Moulinsart, the château where Captain Haddock lives in the books.

Editions Moulinsart

The foundation has released many books on the subject of Tintin in French under the publishing name "Editions Moulinsart".

Awards

On 1 June 2006, the Dalai Lama bestowed the International Campaign for Tibet's Light of Truth Award upon the Hergé Foundation, along with South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The award was the Dalai Lama's recognition of Tintin in Tibet, Hergé's most personal adventure. Accepting on behalf of the Hergé Foundation, Hergé's widow Fanny Rodwell stated, "We never thought that this story of friendship would have a resonance more than 40 years later."

Rights issue

The Hergé Foundation has frequently litigated against other entities that attempted to use Tintin images. However, after Moulinsart sued Dutch fanzine :nl:Hergé Genootschap|Hergé Genootschap in 2012 for one million euros for publishing Tintin images without a license, a contract was unearthed whereby Hergé had assigned all the rights of his works to his original publisher Casterman in 1942. At no time has Fanny Rodwell, the widow and sole heir to the foundation, nor her husband Nick Rodwell, who manages the Tintin empire, ever challenged the agreement in the past. The court's decision means Moulinsart never owned the rights they have been asserting. "It appears, from a 1942 document ... that Hergé gave publishing rights for the books of The Adventures of Tintin to publisher Casterman, so Moulinsart is not the one to decide who can use material from the books." said the Hague court's ruling. The document came from a Hergé expert who wishes to remain anonymous.