J.K.Rowling & W.B. file lawsuit against fan encyclopaedia
 

J.K.Rowling and Warner Brothers have filed a lawsuit, citing copyright infringement, against a fan-written unofficial Potter encyclopaedia. The Harry Potter Lexicon, which is authored by the webmaster of the same-named site, Steve Vander Ark, is 400 pages long and was due to be released in late November. It has been accused of "inappropriately referencing Rowling's fictional characters and universe".

Damages and profits from the book have been sought.

*pokes those guys* That's not nice :/

What??? That's crazy. I didn't even know HP Lexicon was going to publish a book.... They should have stayed to the web. Jo has already credited the site on her website. Why did they need to go further?

Aw.. I like that site. I use to when I'm writing Fanfic if I can't remember how to spell something.

I'm glad that those people will be punished

Wow. I wonder if a lawsuit was really necessary. I mean, do they have to sue over every little thing? I would think that asking for it to not be published would have sufficed.

I'm really surprised by this considering Jo's relationship with that site in the past, but you really ought to ask permission before publishing an encyclopedia. The website was free and clear, but once it was a "for profit" venture that stepped on a project she was working on, I think it crossed a line for her.

wow that sucks

When did Rowling announce a HP Encyclopedia? I really hate that something that is strictly for the fans by the fans is getting the pants sued off them.

Perhaps she should have turned to these folks to help her make her official encyclopedia. They obviously seem to be the best HP cataloguers out there.

I'm sure this book wasn't a big secret, a cease and desist should have been issued much sooner.

And Warner Brothers comment is just dreadful. Sueing quite possibly Harry Potters biggest fan is really keeping with the spirit of the series.

Take the guys profit, but its a shame to see such a book never see the light of day.

Guess I'll just have to buy some ink cartridges and a lot of printer paper.

Ditto. Very well said.

Take the profit by all means but please don't prevent the book from being released! It won't stop people from buying hers when she gets around to writing it anyway! Everybody knows people would buy both versions or just the official one by JKR so I doubt the HP-lexicon version is hurting any profits for JKR or WB.

Just after the release of Deathly Hallows. That aside Jo has said repeatedly over the years that after book 7 she intended to write books about the universe for charity.

It will though because Jo is doing her own. Having a website is one thing, publishing a book is quite another. Her permission should have been asked for. In fact, had it been, I think she probably would have considered a collaboration.

I can see why they would sue over it, but I feel kind of sorry for the guy.

Yea Jo knows the world better then us but poor guy that must have been hard work!

Personally I don't think it has anything to do with profit. Jo wouldn't fuss about that. It's that doing something like this is plain wrong. I think a lwasuit was the only way, otherwise Jo would have never agreed to that.

I think she has said before that 1) she doesn't like people messing with her creation because it's like someone coming into your house and rearranging your furniture. It's hers and she ultimately can do as she wants with it. But 2) she wants to sell the encyclopedia to create money for charity, and she think this would take away from it. Considering that she's SAID they tried to nicely get the Lexicon man (VanderArk) to stop and he has not, this is her last recourse. I see nothing wrong with it.

In the article it said that
So it seems that they already tried the "please don't do it", and since it didnt work went right to the "okay, i'm going to sue you".

If they let this one slide, who knows how many others would try to do another version of this, or at least something similar. JKR and Warner BRos are right in their choice.

* :poke: * That's right.

Wow, that sucks. I really thought they would have been more reasonable. Ah well... I guess they were just asking for it at that point. It's so sad when it has to come to this.

Oh come on, The Lexicon is one of the most fantastic HP sites, why did he have to go try to publish something? But JKR and WB are a little suit happy at times tho....