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.]
Definitely Rowling's side. It's her amazingly creative story; let her tell it herself.
she created it, she owns it all. suck that you money grubbing whore.
Re: J.K Rowling copied ideas from other books and… – Right, cause the idea of there being a school for witches is so amazingly original that there is NO WAY two people could have thought of it independently of each other. Also, did you know that JRR Tolkien "borrowed ideas" from Beowulf and a crapload of classic medieval literature? Maybe JKR did also.
I'm on her side. She obviously worked very hard to write those books. You go JK ! And Perez you didn't have to put horns on her. She made millions OK but she also made millions of people happy and better yet made kids read.
ok so the lexicon is really good…but it shouldn't be allowed to be printed! that's crazy! it's jk's world, she's the only one who really knows the whole story behind potterverse so she's the only one who can write the REAL ENCYCLOPEDIA! they have all this other information that they basically made up but it's not right unless jk says so lol
when did it become acceptable for others to leach off somone elses work and crative output? something for you to think about too Perez!
JK, i'm with you.
it's HER story, HER characters, HER ideas–other people shouldn't be able to profit from them without giving her royalties, at the least.
anyway…I prefer TWILIGHT!!!!! These books are the best EVER.
God I am from Muskegon, I know that company. So weird to think that this small small town in on Perzhilton.com LOVE IT
Team ROWLING. Love her & HP =]
Re: J.K Rowling copied ideas from other books and… –
Oh, dear god. That's like saying Stephenie Meyer stole ideas from every other novelist who's written stories about vampires. It's hard NOT to find similarities between books.
I'm on her side. It's not right for them to be capitalizing on her years of hard work. And her version's going to charity. There's no contest.
JK, if I remember correctly, worte a couple of books about harry potter stuff to support comic relief, and made them quite a bit of cash. SO she wins, obv, what with all the char-i-dee stuff. An encyclopedia wirtten by her will make a TONNE for more good causes. spank those spongers JK! spank em hard!
im def on jk rowling's side
JK Rowling is awesome and obviously would write a better encyclopedia anyway! She should just avada kadavra their asses!
JK, obviously. :]
He is absolutely taking her ideas. I hope she wins this case, if not its a sad day for every writer-their works can all be stolen and made into a mockery that is profited from. I would never buy it.
Rowling's side! Its her world created from her ideas. No one else should profit from her imagination and hard work.
Re: DLR –
No, ever since 2001, she has been quoted saying she would like to make an encyclopedia. In fact, they tried to not make a scene with this book, and RDR refused. So they took it to court.
DOUCHE.
jk's
As it says, after the 7th book was published JK said she was considering making an encyclopaedia that included everything from the world of Harry Potter, even bits that didn't make it into the books…..this dude is completely ripping her off!
The Lexicon's.
Rowling is just having a hissy fit.
he's some 40 something man with no life but harry potter
im on jks side
To everyone calling her greedy….she has given a MASSIVE amount of money to charity, so do your research before you go insulting people. And she isn't only saying she's going to donate all the proceeds to charity so it'll help her win the court case, she's written things for charity before. I'm not sure if they came out in America (although they probably did) but she published "Fantastic beasts and where to find them" and "quidditch through the ages" all for Comic Relief. Go JK!
Uhh J.K. Rowling is completely in her own rights! Harry Potter is her own, and nobody should be allowed to profit from it unless she agrees to it.
definitely on Rowling's side. She is brilliant, and why should other people profit off her work when she is still alive? It's one thing if her work has become public domain (50 years after death in the USA) but it hasn't.
It is definitely not right for someone to profit off of re-organizing her work, ESPECIALLY if there are charities that stand to lose.
Re: Jacki – Public domain laws. You can write whatever you want once the author's been dead for fifty years. Unfortunately for the scam artists, Rowling is very much alive.
Re: jo – the laws are not different if someone is rich. It has nothing to do with how much money she has, it has to do with copyright enfringement.
Re: Craig – Okay I know I already commented about public domain laws, but PLEASE PLEASE stop saying that you can write whatever reference works you want and using Shakespeare as an example, people. If the person holding the copyright is alive, YOU NEED PERMISSION.
I'm definitely on JKR's side. I know Steve and he's being a total ass. He begged to work on JKR's encyclopedia and was turned down. So now he's doing this to get back at her. Go Jo! We love you!
“provides a significant amount of original analysis and commentary concerning everything from insights into the personality of key characters" yes but who would know that best? the creator of the characters!! why try and make money off what she's created without her permission?? B@stards!!!!
charity…. sure (rolls eyes)
obviously she has full rights
people just try to cling off the coat tails of successful people- and will argue their bullshit reasoning anyway they can.
jk!!! those greedy people wouldnt have shit if she didnt write those books!
J.K. Rowling's side all the way. HP Lexicon is basically all of her words jumbled up to look like something different. She has every right to sue Steve Vander Ark's ass off. Everyone keeps saying that its not a big deal but how would you like it if you spent 17 years of your life creating this series just to have someone else profit from your own thoughts and words? Yea, I'd be pissed too. And everyone needs to stop fucking calling her greedy. She's donated tons in the past as well as all of the encyclopedia profits that are to come.
Oh and sites like Mugglenet are not the same, dumbasses. They update on current news and wrote their OWN OPINIONS about what they thought was coming next in the series. Yea they made money off of the books that they wrote themselves, but you can't persecute for guessing.
Team Rowling!
Why would anyone want to read an "encylcopedia" by anyone besides the author??
'mistakes in the novel' ?????!!?!?!?!?!?! WTF Rowling wrote the book herself, how the hell is some totally random dude gonna tell Rowling she wrote her own book wrong?
Definitely JK Rowling here. It's her world, and other people shouldn't be making money off of it without her consent.
I used to like the HP Lexicon, but now that it's going to charge people, by publishing a book instead of having a free website - it's completely rediculous.
I don't think there's any question that JK Rowling has that right to sue them.
DON'T FUCK WITH JK BITCHES!!!!!!!! BRING THAT OTHER FUCKER DOOOOOOOOOOOOOWN
I'm a Potter fanatic so I'm on JK's side!! But, even if that other encyclopedia does come out, I wouldn't buy it. JK's selling her's for Charity, so its a better buy anyways
Re: apor – UM, UNLESS YOU DONATE ANONYMOUSLY YOU GET A BIG FAT FUKKIN BREAK ON THE NEXT YEARS TAXES…..SO ”CHARITY DONATION” IS BASICALLY A BIG LOAD OF SHIT CAUSE THE DONATOR RECEIVES A FAT ASS TAX BREAK…….SO I STILL THINK SHE A GREEDY CUNT,SELF SERVING ONE AT THAT..SHES MADE SO MUCH MONEY AND NOW HAS TO ”DONATE TO CHARITY” TO KEEP FROM PAYING MORE OUT OF BANK ACCOUNT/POCKET…..SHE SHOULD DONATE WITH OUT USING THE TAX BREAK!!!! THATS TRUE CARING AND SHARING.
Re: THE UNMATCHED BATHOG – well yeah if you write a book about harry potter going to the supermarket that is most definately copyright infrigment…you cant just steal her character and story and make money off of it with none of the proceeds going to her especially if she had already planned to make the same exact thng
I totally support JK on this. The other people are stealing years of her hard work and trying to make money on it. The saddest thing is that CNN reported that she is saying that this whole trial is making her so depressed that she hasnt been able to write!
JK ALL THE WAY ~!
GO JKR! i would want an encyclopedia straight from the creator anyway!
you would have to be a freaking cheapo loser head to buy a knock off book
I HEART HARRY POTTER
J.K ALL THE WAY !!!!!!
J.K's of course!
Emerson Spartz (also known as the guy from mugglenet) doesn't make money off of Harry Potter, he makes money off of Advertisements on the website, much like how Perez makes his money.
JK is kind enough to allow this entire fandom to occur, and Steve Vanderark is taking advantage of her kindness. If he wins, than she may restrict the usage of Harry Potter, to the point where podcasts, fanfictions, and even the sites may be in jeopardy.
I agree with J.K.
I have no idea whose side I'm on. Steve Vander Ark of COURSE poses no threat to JKR, I don't know why she'd think that. Even if he wrote a lexicon book identical to hers, hers would outsell his in seconds because it's written by..well..HER. However, this IS JKR's result of the fruit of her labours and belongs solely to her, and she alone must decide if others can reap the benefits of her work. I think she should publish hers first and Steve can see what she included in hers and publish something a bit different later.
I think they should be able to publish their own Harry Potter encyclopedia. After all, fans will still buy the official one from JKR anyway.
I think Steve Van de Ark should be able to publish his Lexicon. Even JKR has said that she used the Lexicon as a reference when writing her later books. I also say the more the merrier. There are all kinds of books out there based on the Potterverse, the world won't come to an end if SVA puts the Lexicon in print.
It's not about the money, it's about the right to her work, people.
She knows Emerson Spartz of Mugglenet, and his book was largely speculation, nothing really about the characters. So, no, she won't sue him.
Re: WHAT A GREEDY CUNT –
She's donating all the proceeds to charity, dumbass. Re: WHAT A GREEDY CUNT –
GO JO!! She is made of awesome
bite their heads off rowling!
I agree with JK. It's intellectual property. Legally, the company can't write an encyclopedia without her and her publisher's consent.
OF COURSE I'M ON JK's SIDE!!!
She created Potter. It's her work, her ideas. This guy does not have her permission so his work should not be published.
/end of story! \
Of course Jk Rowling. This twats are greedy and want the money.
Man I hope J.K gets this guy! You don't just take her work wholeheartedly and try to pass it off like your own stuff! and with the report that it may stop her from actually publishing the encylo-Potter-a that she is in the middle of, imagine the wrath of the millions of potter fans that he has caused. Put on your poncho, sir, prepare for your self-inflicted SHITSTORM!!!
Re: Craig – How can someone else write a reference book when the originator wants to write one?! What references will some novice have that are better than JK's anyway? She can't write his analysis, true but whose analysis will be better, more complete, and, most importantly, closer to the real truth and ideals that the original author was/is trying to convey than J.K.'s. Yeah he can throw something together for the $ but seriously, the better and more complete (and therefore the more sensible to buy) book has got to be hers by default!
Dear Perez,
How can you draw devil horns on jk rowling and a halo on angelina? JK Rowling is absolutely in the right here, what those 3 "writers" are doing is intellectual property theft! You are not a writer so you don't know how much work, time, heart and soul goes into writing! Angelina has a shitteous job which she does not do well and donates less than 1/3 of her income to charity. JK Rowling wrote BOOKS that are solely devoted to charity in addition to continuously donating to charities and starting her own. She wrote a series that has benefited the world not just monetarily but intellectually as well. Case closed.
There are some interesting sites on the internet that feature original stories with the JKR characters doing all sorts of things like Harry getting fucked up the ass by Snape and Malfoy..and them doing Hermione all in the context of original short stories…LOL! There are dozens of sites that are known as Harry Potter slash..if you go looking for it in your favorite search engine, you'll find it…the stories are short for the most part - but will definitely make you laugh!
JUST HOW FUGLY WAS THIS WOMAN BEFORE SHE GOT ALL THAT PLASTIC SURGERY?? WELL I GUESS SHE HAD THE CASH NECESSARY TO RE-INVENT HERSELF.
Not hers greedy bitch.every author has had encyclopedia books written by her .Who the FUCK does JK think she is with her half billion.?
the issue is that the lexicon is just basically rearranging info from the book, unlike mugglenet which offers original theories and fanfic and analysis. basically the lexicon is ripping jk off word for word. GO JO!
I'm definitely on Rowling's side.
It baffles me as to why a fan site would want to profit off of her book if they love Harry Potter so much…
Re: THE UNMATCHED BATHOG –
You're a fucking moron.
You can't profit off of copyrighted material, retard.
The fan sites, fan fiction, etc. that are on the internet do not profit off of copyrighted material, therefore they do not get sued.
Re: THE BATHOG OF YORE –
Again, you're a fucking moron.
Rap musicians have to get permission to sample the material of another musician, if they do not, it's copyright infringement, which is what these people are doing.
Re: jstmekathy –
How would you like it if someone stole your work and profited off of it?
J.K. Rowling deserves every single cent she earns.
Re: kallie –
You're an idiot.
They are fucking using HER work, not getting inspiration from it
is this even a fucking question lol. seriously, it's her fucking world and idea, it's hers to write about.
FUCK OFF OTHER WRITERS.
and to the person that said: you get sued if you write about harry potter going ot a supermarket?
thats a whole different stupid you stupid son of a bitch.
I really could care less, Potter is WAY overrated and Rowling is a greedy c*nt
Sounds like cliff notes for Harry Potter.
Whats the big deal?
JK Rowling is being a big baby. Come and work and enjoy the freedoms of markets in america, but she crys when she can monopolize the book industry. welcome to the world of capitalism baby! everyone gets their stake!