"Permanently free -- VIP only"
In discussions with other LOTRO players, the general consensus is that this is still a "rental", not "ownership" of the expacs mentioned. In other words, once one's sub expires, the choices are: either buy the content, re-sub, or do without.
I would humbly suggest that the word "free" not be used for any part of the VIP package, since it's not a "free" package. "X is permanently included in" or "X is a permanent perk of" the VIP package, would be clearer. "Permanently free", in just about any context besides MMO monetization, means you get to keep something in perpetuity, regardless of whether you pay or not.
Yes, I'm aware that Anniversary will grant Collector's Editions of the same expacs, but only to those who log in during a particular timeframe. There will be a non-zero number of players who do not log in, and thus for whom "rental versus ownership" of the expacs will be a source of potential confusion and/or consternation.
P.S. The word used in the German version of the announcement is kostenlos. While not a native speaker, my understanding is that German has more nuanced ways than English, of expressing "free", and that kostenlos means that a thing, considered in itself, is given free of charge. gratis would, in contrast, be used for something included without additional charge, as part of a paid offering. Is the translation accurate, or can a native speaker clarify?