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Exact same reason. Stealing IP without compensation has the potential to diminish the return the IP owner may achieve on his or her IP. For instance, Vivendi bought the rights to online Middle Earth games from the Tolkien Estate. I don't know the terms of the deal, but I'm sure they are paying millions of dollars and a huge percentage of gross royalties. If even ONE person doesn't pay them for MEO because of games like SoL, there's the harm right there.
Beyond even that though, I believe the IP owner has a fundamental right to determine how his or her IP will be used, so as to control the continuing development of or the diminishment of the value of that IP in the eyes of the public. What if a game like SoL decided that elves were sex-maniacs? At least SOME of the players are going to have their perception of Tolkien's work altered by that kind of premise and that deprives the IP holder of revenue just as surely as taking his car does.
Someone earlier quoted Raymond Feist on this issue. Mr. Feist said something to the following effect, "Pirating stories is no different than stealing my atm card and using it." His rationale is likely nearly identical to my own above.
All ethics are grey areas. I'm not precluding the possibility of honest disagreement with me on the moral side of the issue. What I mainly sense, however, is a sense of self-righteous entitlement on the side of the people defending Traithe; an attitude that "Tolkien muds deserve to be made, so I don't need to get permission first."
Anyway, see above for my rationale. It boils down to robbing control over the disposition of the IP from the IP holder.
--matt
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