Judge To Harry Potter Author: Your Books Bite

Two days ago I wrote that I am not a fan of the Harry Potter book series. Looks like I'm not the only one.

Today, an article in the London Telegraph states a New York judge reviewing a copyright infringement claim by Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, called her books "gibberish." Maybe it's all that "hocus pocus" stuff that threw the judge off.

Dumbledore to J.K. Rowling: What do you mean I'm gay!

It's hardly Shakespeare, now is it, and Britain has produced many of the finest English language books in the world. However, J.K. Rowling went for another approach...gay bearded wizard, pardon the pun, and "hocus pocus" - isn't that like Latin or something (Aisha having a valley girl moment).

Seriously, Rowling is suing regarding a fan site publishing a Harry Potter guide based on her books. The judge has recommended a settlement between the two parties.

As much as I don't care for the Potter books, the law is the law and it is leaning more toward Rowling's side. She owns the copyrights and trademarks to the Harry Potter franchise, along with crooked Warner Bros Pictures, who has been hemorrhaging money.

They really need her permission to do this Potter guide, as it will contain items from her copyrights and trademarks. The only exception to this covered by U.S. law is parody and that this spin off book is not.

However, people have written biographies on subjects without their permission and without getting sued, as long as it's not libelous. Therefore, there's a little leeway present in this aspect as well.

It's a strange position for an author to take, suing one's own fans, but at the same time, I can understand a writer being worried that someone is going to churn out a sub-standard version of their work, destroying the integrity of the original. It really is best to obtain permission first before touching someone else's work and then abide by their decision.

This judge is being nice in encouraging a settlement between the two parties.

Harry Potter storylines are gibberish, judge tells Rowling

J. K. Rowling heard her work described as “gibberish” by a US judge yesterday at the end of a three-day trial into an unauthorised encyclopaedia of her Harry Potter novels.

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk