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Rowling wins book copyright claim | Rowling wins book copyright claim |
(about 3 hours later) | |
Author JK Rowling has won her legal battle in a New York court to get an unofficial Harry Potter encyclopaedia banned from publication. | Author JK Rowling has won her legal battle in a New York court to get an unofficial Harry Potter encyclopaedia banned from publication. |
Judge Robert Patterson said in a ruling Ms Rowling, 43, had proven Steven Vander Ark's Harry Potter Lexicon would cause her irreparable harm as a writer. | Judge Robert Patterson said in a ruling Ms Rowling, 43, had proven Steven Vander Ark's Harry Potter Lexicon would cause her irreparable harm as a writer. |
Ms Rowling sued Michigan based publishers RDR Books last year to stop publication of Mr Vander Ark's book. | Ms Rowling sued Michigan based publishers RDR Books last year to stop publication of Mr Vander Ark's book. |
He wrote the book after running a popular Potter fansite. | He wrote the book after running a popular Potter fansite. |
Following the ruling, Ms Rowling said her legal action had aimed "to uphold the right of authors everywhere to protect their own original work". | Following the ruling, Ms Rowling said her legal action had aimed "to uphold the right of authors everywhere to protect their own original work". |
She said: "The proposed book took an enormous amount of my work and added virtually no original commentary of its own." | |
The statement added: "Many books have been published which offer original insights into the world of Harry Potter. The Lexicon just is not one of them." | The statement added: "Many books have been published which offer original insights into the world of Harry Potter. The Lexicon just is not one of them." |
'Gone too far' | |
The book had been originally due for publication on 28 November 2007, but legal proceedings prevented it from being released. | The book had been originally due for publication on 28 November 2007, but legal proceedings prevented it from being released. |
Ms Rowling had originally supported the Lexicon website, but she said there was a difference between fans publishing information for free on the internet, and selling it in the form of a book. | Ms Rowling had originally supported the Lexicon website, but she said there was a difference between fans publishing information for free on the internet, and selling it in the form of a book. |
Making his ruling, Judge Patterson said reference materials could help readers, but Vander Ark had gone too far in this case. | |
He said: "While the Lexicon, in its current state, is not a fair use of the Harry Potter works, reference works that share the Lexicon's purpose of aiding readers of literature generally should be encouraged rather than stifled." | |
He said he had made his decision because: "Lexicon appropriates too much of Rowling's creative work for its purposes as a reference guide". | |
'Not about money' | |
In April Rowling gave evidence in court and said the encyclopaedia amounted to "wholesale theft". | |
The author has always denied the case was about money. | The author has always denied the case was about money. |
She had been planning to write her own definitive encyclopaedia, the proceeds of which she had intended to donate to charity. | She had been planning to write her own definitive encyclopaedia, the proceeds of which she had intended to donate to charity. |
However, she told the court in April she is not sure if she has "the will or the heart" to do it after all. | However, she told the court in April she is not sure if she has "the will or the heart" to do it after all. |
At the time RDR Books argued that it is little different than any other novel reference guide and should be allowed to go to press without interference. | At the time RDR Books argued that it is little different than any other novel reference guide and should be allowed to go to press without interference. |