Testimonies Have Begun
NEW YORK - J.K. Rowling said Monday that her efforts to halt a publisher’s “Harry Potter” lexicon have been crushing her creativity.
Rowling said she has stopped work on a new novel because the lawsuit in federal court has “decimated my creative work over the last month.”
Rowling is suing RDR Books to stop publication of Steven Vander Ark’s “Harry Potter Lexicon.” She says her copyrights are being violated.
“This book constitutes wholesale theft of 17 years of my hard work,” she testified Monday.
Full article from the Associated Press
To me the biggest revelation in this story is that Steve Vander Ark is 50. Did not realize THAT.
Tags: Harry Potter, Harry Potter Lexicon, JK Rowling, RDR Publishers, Steve Vander Ark, Trial
April 14th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
I get that she wants to protect her copy right, but f it’s “crushing her creativity” why did she start the whole thing?
April 14th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Also, I don’t get this about copyright stuff, & I think it is why people like The Leaky Cauldron & fan fic people should worry. Why is it only copyright infringement to use another person’s work for profit? Shouldn’t any use of another person’s work without their direct permission be copyright infringement, even if you’re not making money off of it? Which is fine for Leaky & others because most of what they do is commentary & analysis, which is protected. But fan sites, with images from the movies & books, & stories using JKR’s characters, how are they protected? Simply because JKR & WB & Bloomsbury haven’t wanted to go after them…yet?
April 14th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
I don’t know. I think that as long as you aren’t profiting from it, and you aren’t claiming that it’s your own, it’s fine. I’m not sure why though.
April 14th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
Fanfiction is legal because of the simple fact that no money is being made from it. Fanfiction has been around for a while now. Also Rowling has said that she thinks it is good for people to write about her world. She says that “if it helps people understand writing and makes them write then fanfiction is great”. I guess that copywrite only comes in to play if there is money being made.
April 14th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
That makes sense. Also, the main idea in fanfiction, is that it is done by FANS. Who respect what Jo has done, but have other thoughts. The same goes for fan art.