Don't Eff With Potter!
Filed under: Anglophilia > Harry Potter
Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling is set to testify in court today against a publisher who's trying to put out an encyclopedia based on the Potter universe.
Up until now, Rowling has allowed and welcomed the numerous fan-based outlets that her books have inspired. She's even done interviews with some of the sites.
However, a small publisher in Muskegon, Michigan, RDR Books, has announced it planned last fall to publish a printed version of the fan sites, primarily information from the popular fan site called “The Harry Potter Lexicon."
Rowling and even Warner Brothers have stepped in to object. Stating that unlike the online fan sites, the new book is basically seeking to make money from Rowling's work.
The book is being written by the fan website's founder, Steven Vander Ark and three other writers.
Last October, Rowling and WB sued RDR Books for copyright infringement and caused the company to temporarily suspend any publication.
The case will determine if anyone aside from Rowling has the right to publish books that rely mainly on her work as the main source material. It will also determine if the online fan site used in the book adds enough material to transform the content of her books.
Rowling argues that the proposed book has thrown off her plans to write her own style of encyclopedia, in which she planned to donate the proceeds to charity. She's now arguing that the new book could prevent fans from buying hers.
The publisher for RDR Books, Roger Rapoport, said “We don’t think we’re a threat to J. K. Rowling.” He believes both books could exist at the same time.
He also argues that the book “provides a significant amount of original analysis and commentary concerning everything from insights into the personality of key characters, relationships among them, the meaning of various historical and literary allusions, as well as internal inconsistencies and mistakes in the novels.”
Let's see what happens.
Whose side are U on here?????
[Image via WENN.]
maybe this time i'll be first!!
Go JK. Its your world. Potter rulez.
Jo Rowling should be the one to write it even if we don't get it for a couple of years. She's been really good to the fansites they should show the same courtesy.
J.K. Rowling of course
shut up.
I'm on Rowling's side!! Those with no talent should stop trying to capitalize on her work & do their own!!
Obviously JKs side! who would buy a rip off book anyways?? oh yeah people have cough cough series of unfortunate events!
let him do his little book, he obviously has no life if he has studied it that much
The more Harry Potter the merrier! I'd buy Rowling's book but not the other one. I never buy the stupid books that 3rd parties publish about HP. They're almost always a waste of time.
1st bitches!
2nd
Definitely on hers! What a scam…steal her creative work to make money.
poop
so if i want to write a book about harry potters trip to the supermarket i get sued? seems kinda dicey.
Solidly on her side. Authors should retain the rights to their own material. There should be nothing published based on an author's work without the author's permission.
Rowling, obviously — she already announced the encyclopedia that she wanted to create in order to fund children's charities. The webguy just wants the cash!
She has a very good case. She was smart to let the fans discuss her work just as long as they didn't try to profit off of it but now a fan is. And that's just not kosher. I would side with her on this.
first!!!
j.k. needs to get over it!
JKKKK. those are my intials hahaha
.swimchick.net
first
LOVE harry potter!!!!!!!!!!!!
rowlings, no doubt
she has trillions. everyone knows potter is hers. i should be able to "sample" a little of her work like rap musicians can
She better win that lawsuit!!
Lol i wanna c the outcome!
obvi J.K's…. she did all the work, she should have the rights
OH I HOPE JK WINS! She rocks some serious ass bitches!
She should get a piece of the action. Harry has made billions for people.
OF course JK Rowling's side… It is total BS what the dude from Lexicon is trying to do.
Lol i wanna c the outcome! Hey she desreves her money!
first!
ROWLING
J.K. Rowling has every right to be angry about others profiting off of her work. She allows fan sites to use her material, b/c they don't make any money. This publishing firm / author is trying to make a profit from her creativity. She is correct to go take them to court.
Rowling all the way!! first?
I think she should just be grateful these people worship her books so much that they want to put together something like that.
shes LAME and her books are GAY! no offense perez
THAT GUY WHO OWNS MUGGLENET.COM MAKES A SIX FIGURE SALARY OFF OF JK ROWLING. SHE DOESN'T KNOW. HOPE SHE FINDS OUT NOW.
yeah definitely rowling!
JK all the way
Rowling & WB are right. The book should be stopped.
I haven't read a single Harry Potter book or gone to seen any of the movies.
But I agree with J.K. Rowling
Im on ROWLINGS side !
Let's rip off someone elses idea to make some money!
Lame. I hope your book fails.
Go JK!
It's JK's world and we're all just living in it. JK all the way!!
Nobody should be permitted to make money off her work.. even if they do write their own analysis.. it's still based off her original ideas.
She'll win though.. there's no way she won't.
Go JK!
GO ROWLING!!!
copyrights! he shouldnt make a profit off her work.
Surprised she hasn't sued Mugglenet yet! They made tons off their book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wonder why she hasn't sued them yet. Kind of stupid she's suing the Lexicon and not mugglenet. lexicon has helped her more than mugglenet ever has.
Hope she goes after mugglenet.com for their profits!!!!
SUE MUGGLENET
SUE MUGGLENET
SUE MUGGLENET
SUE MUGGLENET
SUE MUGGLENET
SUE MUGGLENET
SUE MUGGLENET
SUE MUGGLENET
As much as I love the Harry Potter series, I have to agree with RDR books. Rowling does not have complete rights over supplementary readings connected to the Harry Potter series. If the court was 2 rule in her favor, then this scenario can be applied to other popular works. There would be no supplementary reading on Dickens, shakespeare, etc.
wow!! doesn't she have enough fucking money - give me a break!!
JK all the WAY
it should be j.k. because its her series. i will only buy her encyclopedia because she knows more about it than anyone else!!
Of course Rowling is right. Some of you guys are stupid. Why should he get paid off of her genius? He's a dumb asshole.
Does she honestly need any more money? I hate greedy rich people.
JK's right on the money (hahahha) it's her creativeness that made HP. Also, she is donationg the proceeds to charity, which she has done frequently in the past. She has made her $$$ (I don't have the lb. sign!) ….but has not forgotten her days of being poor and writing HP on napkins in a little coffee house.
JK all the way, you cant tell me that its fair for someone to take ideas that are ALL hers, and make money off of it. Thats just wrong.
It is a reference work. I don't see how she can possible prevent someone from writing a reference work just because she also wants to write one. Any library is filled with similar books of literary analysis and reference from Shakespeare on–probably very few, if any, are "authorized" by the author. The analysis portion is original and something she can't offer in her own book (she can offer her own analysis but not someone else's). I'm really surprised this is headed to court because she is certain to loose.
Re: Mimi – why do some people fault her for wanting to maintain ownership over her creation? She can make as much money as possible; cheers to her, I say. I don't understand jealous people who will only allow you to make so much money, then after a point, you don't deserve any more no matter how hard YOU have worked for it? Maybe you should think up a story as good as hers and we can tell you that you can only earn so much on that idea.
Last, read the article again…the procees are going to charity.
Leave Harry Potter to JK Rowling!!!
UM,EXCUES MS. ROWLAND…HAVENT U MADE ENOUGH MONEY OFF OF THIS HARRY POTTER SHIT? GIVE SOMEONE ELSE A CHANCE.ITS JUST A WHOS WHO/WHATS WHAT GUIDE FOR PEOPLE…JEEZE..GET OFF YR HIGH HORSE GREEDY CUNT.
DEAR MS. ROWLING,
YOU HAVE ADMITTED TO COLLECTING WELFARE FOR SOME TIME BEFORE YOU BECAME RICH,HAVE YOU PAID BACK THE WELFARE MONEY YOU RECEIVED?YOU KNOW YOU HAVE ENOUGH TO RE-PAY SOCIETY BACK…UM OK.
I am no Harry Potter fan but I support JK Rowling in this. It is her work and they have no right to profit from it. At least not while she's alive, lol.
JKR is a witch, who always want more money, money, money, money, money.
team rowling
JK has every right to maintain control over her characters and creations, but if I'm reading this correctly, the book by Vander Ark & co. sounds like more of an analysis of her work - that's certainly protected by copyright law. Maybe the problem is their calling it an encyclopedia? In truth, a new voice that could add detailed and fresh perspective to her work might be good — JK can't provide that as the characters are her "babies." I hope they find a way to compromise on this!
I'd do her
HOW ABOUT SHE GIVES SOME OF HER GAGILLION DOLLARS SHE ALREADY HAS TO CHARITY?! greedy bitch. she cant spend all her money in her lifetime…shes just trying to play the charity card to keep her greed feed in motion.
did people even READ what was said?!
shes not suing so SHE can profit from it, she was going to publish for CHARITY.
basically if this internet fan guy makes money off of the book…he's basically leeching from JK's talents and taking money that would have gone to charity.
there is no way in hell he will win.
JK Rocks & can do whatever the x she wants! ( :
potter rules!
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.WHO'S SIDE? J.K.'S….IT'S HERS…
AND SHE WANTS TO DONATE CHARITY..
DUH.
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TEAM ROWLING!!!!
Re: WHAT A GREEDY CUNT – SHE's donating the money for CHARITY you moron!!!! You call that greed?
I'm on JKRowling's side.
It's hers to decide.
Go for it! Even though some people tell otherwise.
To the knob who called her a greedy cunt, she wants to donate the proceeds of her book to charity, and ofcourse she pays tax, she has certainly contributed more to the UK's budget then you have, or ever will
the thing is that jk rowling basically has no choice. copyright law boils down to that if you do not actively work to protect your copyrights, meaning suing at the drop of a hat, you can lose the rights to your own work. thats beside the point however, she does seem to be in the right.
I'd do her.
Re: Pay It Back –
I suspect the £200 million paid in taxes - not forgetting the millions donated to charity every year - are more than pay back for society.
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Re: jenny –
CAN YOU READ,
DUM-DUM?
SHE WANTS TO GIVE THE PROCEEDS FROM HER VERSION OF THE ENCYCLOPEDIA TO…….
………………………. CHARITY……..
GOOD IDEA, HUH?
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IF THE INTERNET GUY WINS…BYE-BYE DONATIONS.
GET IT?
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Re: WHAT A GREEDY CUNT –
I will make sure to tell Kelly ROWLAND what you had to say. No opinions if you can't even get the people right.
P.S. Reference books are okay, but this guy is really trying to rip off the encyclopedia. I say throw him in the psych ward. A fan that got too crazy!!!