J.K. Rowling says rival Harry Potter book would exploit her

[Honey]

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Billionaire Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling would feel exploited" if a fan's unofficial encyclopedic companion to the boy wizard series was published, she said in court papers made public on Thursday.
Steve Vander Ark has written "The Harry Potter Lexicon" -- a 400-page reference book based on his popular fan Web site (www.hp-lexicon.org). Rowling and Warner Bros. are suing RDR Books, which planned to publish the book last November.
"I am very frustrated that a former fan has tried to co-opt my work for financial gain," Rowling, 42, who wrote the seven hugely successful Harry Potter novels, said in a declaration filed in U.S. District Court this week.
"I believe that RDR's book constitutes a Harry Potter 'rip off' of the type I have spent years trying to prevent, and that both I, as the creator of this world, and fans of Harry Potter, would be exploited by its publication," she said.
The lawsuit filed in October names RDR Books, an independent publisher based in Michigan, and unidentified persons as defendants. It seeks to stop publication and requests damages for copyright and federal trademark infringement and any profits to be gained.
Rowling has said she plans to write her own definitive Harry Potter encyclopedia, which would include material that did not make it into the novels, and donate the proceeds to charity. The novels have sold more than 400 million copies.
"I feel intensely protective, firstly, of the literary world I spent so long creating, and secondly, of the fans who bought my books in such large numbers," said the British writer ranked by Forbes as the world's 48th most powerful celebrity.
RDR Books has said Vander Ark, a librarian, had spoken at Harry Potter academic conferences in Britain, Canada and the United States and that a timeline he created was used by Warner Bros. in DVD releases of the Harry Potter films.

J.K. Rowling says rival Potter book would exploit her | Reuters

[Buffy Burnett]

Let's see, she's already got more money than the Queen. I don't see how this guy's work would ever damage her own. Sure, she can protect the "idea" behind her books but look at how many people have written fan fiction on other subjects. Jeez, I say she needs to get over herself.

[Karistiona]

Well I reckon it's not about the money but that the book will try to steal her book's thunder. I quite like the lexicon but I happen to think that no true Harry fan would do such a thing.

[western]

If I were in JK's shoes I'd feel the same way. My book, my creation, my decision who gets to publish a 'definitive all-about' encyclopedia. Especially if I'd already spent time putting one together myself.

Regardless of this guy's assumption of his knowledge of Harry Potter it goes no further than what was published in the series. Whereas the information JK would provide would come from items she'd culled from the books.

I do wonder though why they chose to stop publication of this book and not the dozens of others who are piggy-backing on the popularity of Harry Potter. The Galadrial Waters (sp?) books offered on the mugglenet site were sold as ways you could solve the 'mystery' of Harry Potter by deciphering the clues riddled throughout the series. Funny now that the majority of those 'clues' had no bearing on the story at all.

[NicoleWasHere]

She's already super famous, how much more could she be "exploited"?

[snuffy]

It's funny to hear her whine about a "rip off" when Harry Potter itself is a collection of rip-offs from other older books.

[sparkly]

I can see what she's upset about. This was her series, and no one else should have the right to make money off her.

[WhateverLolaWants]

Originally Posted by snuffy

It's funny to hear her whine about a "rip off" when Harry Potter itself is a collection of rip-offs from other older books.

As is Tolkien, Voltaire and any other number of literary geniuses. Literature builds on itself. You can no more say that she is a rip off than you can say Shakespeare (One person, or many) ripped off Milton.

[snuffy]

^very true ... it has all been written - but those authors you listed never cried they were being ripped off, that was more my point.

[southernbelle]

Originally Posted by snuffy

It's funny to hear her whine about a "rip off" when Harry Potter itself is a collection of rip-offs from other older books.

That was my first thought as well.

[Karistiona]

Originally Posted by snuffy

^very true ... it has all been written - but those authors you listed never cried they were being ripped off, that was more my point.

But none of those authors had the unbelievable success that JK does, or if they did they weren't living in an age where you have the interent as a tool to pull together all that information and then publish it as your own.

[sputnik]

Originally Posted by western

If I were in JK's shoes I'd feel the same way. My book, my creation, my decision who gets to publish a 'definitive all-about' encyclopedia. Especially if I'd already spent time putting one together myself.

Regardless of this guy's assumption of his knowledge of Harry Potter it goes no further than what was published in the series. Whereas the information JK would provide would come from items she'd culled from the books.

I do wonder though why they chose to stop publication of this book and not the dozens of others who are piggy-backing on the popularity of Harry Potter. The Galadrial Waters (sp?) books offered on the mugglenet site were sold as ways you could solve the 'mystery' of Harry Potter by deciphering the clues riddled throughout the series. Funny now that the majority of those 'clues' had no bearing on the story at all.

i agree, especially with the bolded part. i have no problem with fans or anyone else having unofficial websites or writing books on the subject but the only one who should be able to decide what is sold as 'official' or 'definite' with regards to hp is her. none of the other authors piggy-backing on hp are claiming 'official' status.

[Flak]

Steve Vanderark is a douche. She has been very gracious in letting fans play with her characters in their own works, as long as credit is given and is not for profit. Now he is jeopardizing that. Fan fiction will be a thing of the past if this guy is able to publish this book.

I don't care if Jo has a billion dollars, the characters are hers.

They do a good summary job of the lawsuit here.

JKR/WB Respond in Lexicon Suit - The Leaky Cauldron

People have put out speculation books and such before, but this guy is just plagiarizing and looking to make money off of using the HP brand.

"It counts 2,034 entries out of the book’s 2,437 entries that lift text directly from Harry Potter, and says the remainder “merely [add] adverbs such as ‘unfortunately,’ ‘sadly,’ or ‘possibly’ to descriptions.”"

He also neglects to site stuff lifted from other books.

Go Jo!

[radha]

Originally Posted by WhateverLolaWants

Literature builds on itself.

agree with you. everything is part of something else

[GaPeach]

Good think George Lucas doesn't feel the same way, look how many Star Wars books are out there and George doesn't freak over someone using his characters, he encourages it as a matter of fact.

She throws a fit everytime someone even mentions her precious Harry. She want after James Potter and the Hall of Elders' Crossing -- Muggle Version# until he stated it wasn't for profit. I've read his work and so far it isn't any good... being American he tried to Americanize it.

I'm a fan of Harry Potter but not of J.K. Rowling. She has more money than the queen so it wouldn't hurt her to be less greedy. After her sudden outting of Dumbledore I don't think I'd like her to write anymore books about Harry. Whats next Ron really didn't like Hermoine he was really into Harry? I'd like to see someone else make a run of it. Do a take on Harrys son Albus.