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JK Rowling blast for 'wholesale theft' of Harry Potter work



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HARRY Potter author JK Rowling was set to continue her US court battle today over the publication of a Harry Potter encyclopaedia.
She told the court yesterday that the encyclopaedia was theft of her work.

She also said the battle over the publication of the Harry Potter Lexicon, based on the internet fan site of the same name, "decimated" her creativity and halted all work on a new novel.

The Merchiston-based author was giving evidence at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Court in the Southern District of New York, where she is suing RDR Books to stop publication of Steve Vander Ark's encyclopaedia.

"This book constitutes wholesale theft of 17 years of my hard work," she said.





The full article contains 127 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 15 April 2008 10:13 AM
  • Source: Edinburgh Evening News
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: JK Rowling & Harry Potter
 
1

A Friend of Fernando Poo,

, Newington 15/04/2008 14:02:27
I'm puzzled. Surely producing an index constitutes original work?
2

yockel,

15/04/2008 14:40:51
Strange how great it is to make money so long as nobody else is allowed to.
3

Jings Crivens,

15/04/2008 16:06:31
They are hundreds of these books produced which are bought by fans to gain a better understanding of the original work (especially stories that run over several books). They are harmless and JKR’s attempt to stop this appears to be an attempt to control every aspect of the Harry Potter franchise
4

CaranDar,

Alberta, Canada 15/04/2008 16:49:04
I think it is totally within her rights. Harry Potter was made up BY her, therefor she should be asked at the very least permission to compile a collection of HER thoughts and ideas. Why assume it's about the money? The only people that care about money are people that don't have any. Even if she IS trying to control the Harry Potter franchise...it's hers! He and everything else came out of HER imagination. Is the Encyclopedia harmless? Maybe, thoughtless? You bet. If everyone gave everyone else a little bit more respect, the world might run a little smoother. Obviously no one asked her how she felt about someone else putting it together, or they wouldn't be where they are. As a devout Harry Potter fan...if my definitions where to come from anywhere....I would prefer they were from J.K and no one else. Who knows the books better than she?
5

A Friend of Fernando Poo,

Newington 15/04/2008 17:19:05
Carandar opines: "I think it is totally within her rights. Harry Potter was made up BY her, therefor she should be asked at the very least permission to compile a collection of HER thoughts and ideas. "

I think it would have been polite to ask permission, but not necessary. For example some time ago I produced and index to a band's somewhat vast ouvre of music. It involved comparing versions of tracks on about 300 albums and singles to see which were the same, which different and which were edits or remixes of which others. It took nearly a year and was quickly adopted as gospel by the hardcore fans.

Inasmuch as I was the first to get obsessed enough to do it, there's no doubt it was original work. Later, a record company in the US did something similar (albeit with a lot less attention to detail) and sent a letter saying if I didn't get my version off the interweb, they'd sue. I told them I was there first and their lawyers could tighten their briefs until they sang falsetto. They demurred and the band then nicely asked me to hold off on any printed versions until the company had made its money (they were releasing their index with a new packaging of a record). I obligingly agreed.

The long and the short of it is that while the music remains copyright of the band, if I produce and index, or even a book of lyrics as I hear them, then that's original work so long as I actually do the work. It may be that the same applies to someone indexing a book.

It will certainly be interesting to see the results of this case...
6

JG,

Fife 15/04/2008 17:20:50
No-one is doubting that she wrote the Harry Potter series. This guy isn't trying to "steal" her book - only create an index of sorts. He's making a list of things she wrote about. How is that "theft"?
7

Boy Wonder,

15/04/2008 19:33:00
The article fails to mention that Ms Rowling wants write the encyclopaedia herself, with all the proceeds going to charity.

She has no problems with online sites with the stuff, but no-one must be making money out of it.

Sounds right to me. Ask any author and I'm sure they'd be right behind JKR. The family of Tolkien protect his work with a vengeance!

You write your own book and see how you feel about someone else using YOUR ideas to make money out of it ... apart from agents, publishers and dealers.
8

Fanling,

Hong Kong 15/04/2008 21:11:49
#1
Let's clarify: the story as I understand it is that the contentious work is described as an "encyclopaedia". Not an index, as you tell it. An encyclopaedia by definition is a rather more compendious animal than an index at the back of the book. (Although I personally know of a few that might contradict that.)

To answer your question - yes, producing an index does constitute original work. However, there are twists and turns in there. For the past 20 years I have written indexes professionaly for academic publishers and other high-profile agencies worldwide. In so doing, I am obliged to renounce claims to copyright, therefore royalties are wishful thinking. That mainly works in my favour for reasons I needn't go into here.

The point is, JK Rowling is entirely within her rights to pursue this case. She will, I am certain, have a cast-iron contract with her publisher regarding her intellectual property. Somebody is hoping to make a few bob on the back of her efforts without the permission of the author. She is correct to take this to court and I hope it is quickly resolved in her favour.
9

Virginian,

USA 15/04/2008 21:59:22
Article Quote:
"...the Harry Potter Lexicon...'decimated' her creativity and halted all work on a new novel."


Answer: Sounds as if JK Rowling has a bad case of writer's block and wants to make a lot of money off of her problem. Very clever!

10

very sensitive,

texas 15/04/2008 22:58:15
they shouldnt write a harry potter if jk doesnt want them to. its so random! its her rights. she thought him up. they should NOT make an encyclopedia just for MONEY!

from your #1 fan (who is 9 and on the 5th book)

samantha

11

A Friend of Fernando Poo,

16/04/2008 00:38:16
"The article fails to mention that Ms Rowling wants write the encyclopaedia herself, with all the proceeds going to charity."

Surely nobody doubts that a Rowling encyclopedia would be seen as canonical whereas an unauthorised one would not.

#8: Thanks for the info. I guess we'll both watch with interest.
12

Jings Crivens,

16/04/2008 12:35:08
11 She says that nows but doesn't say when she will ever get round to doing it, maybe next week ..... maybe never.

 

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