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Bogus Harry Potter Book In China

elveu writes "Chinese Harry Potter fans have been blessed with the fifth book early -- only it's not the real one. The title translates to 'Harry Potter And Leopard Walk Up To Dragon.' The story has Harry getting turned into a fat hairy drawf and being void of his powers."

201 comments

  1. Barry Trotter, anybody? by stevey · · Score: 4, Interesting

    This is completely different because it's a parody - but it amused me:

    The first chapter is available online - and is hugely funny..

    1. Re:Barry Trotter, anybody? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's a bit shit, isn't it? About as "funny" as Bored of the Rings.

  2. o damn,,,,,,, by NTS_NachO · · Score: 0

    go harry

    --
    perl -e s++=END;++y(;-P)}s?C++=;
  3. Harry Potter by FigBugDeux · · Score: 0, Troll

    Does he get his swerve on with ginny? we all know thats going to happen in the next book

    1. Re:Harry Potter by elveu · · Score: 2, Informative

      but harry dosn't have a thing for ginny. he wants Cho the seeker for Ravenclaw.

    2. Re:Harry Potter by FigBugDeux · · Score: 1, Funny

      But ginny has a thing for harry... he's horny... he'll take what he can get.

      We also all know that ron is going to get hermione pregnent before they graduate... and i don't even want to think about what goes on with the house elves...

    3. Re:Harry Potter by elveu · · Score: 1

      that wasn't a troll he keeps looking at her. then in the fourth book he has to sak someone to a dance and he spends ages trying ot get the courage to ask cho. he also dosn't want to rought cho aobut in a game of quiddich in the thrid book. so harry actually does have a thing for cho. it's acutally part of the books and an indication of harrying growing up as he begins to develop affetions for girls.

    4. Re:Harry Potter by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      is cho of chinese descent, does any one know?

  4. This is what the REAL books look like in Chinese by Stavr0 · · Score: 2, Informative
  5. Bogus Jon Katz by puto · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Now how come no one ever posts with that title? Her can't be to hard to fake. puto

    --
    The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
  6. What'll Really Leave J.K. Rowling Mad... by IronTek · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I bet you this thing, sadly, is going to become some sort of rare ultra-expensive collector's item stateside in the very near future... ...and this is a shame. I for one don't read the Harry Potter books, but even I have respect for J.K Rowling and her story (not referring to Harry Potter here)...so to turn something as fake as this "new" book is quite the shame, and I think I'd be upset if I were Ms. Rowling.

    1. Re:What'll Really Leave J.K. Rowling Mad... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Harry Potter's an overhyped piece of crap.. maybe
      this fake one will be more interesting. The quotes
      from the article have a certain intrigue to them..

    2. Re:What'll Really Leave J.K. Rowling Mad... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh man. How *dare* they try to exploit Harry Potter for financial gain! .... Oh... wait... JK Rowling... Duh!

      Let that silly english cunt die.

    3. Re:What'll Really Leave J.K. Rowling Mad... by Anonymous+Bullard · · Score: 1

      There's also something else that will get Ms Rowling fuming.

      Scandinavia has a long and proud history of "fair use" broadcasting where the authors do get paid royalties, besides benefitting from the obvious free publicity, and the story-telling programs are particularly popular among the pre-schoolers who wouldn't be buying books quite yet anyway. Perhaps that was the fly in the magic ointment; no potential sales in that market segment within the current financial year?

      As an author who also "initially" used to hide her gender in order to attract young boys, her behaviour has struck me as somewhat peculiar, if not outright petty. She might be a literary genius (not that I'd have read anything by her) but does she deserve my sympathy for getting one-upped by chinese pirates? I don't think so.

      --

      Should invading one's peaceful neighbours be opposed, or rewarded with trade deals?

  7. Collectors item by tsa · · Score: 3, Insightful

    This will be a good collectors item.

    --

    -- Cheers!

    1. Re:Collectors item by kyndig · · Score: 1

      I'm akin to think the same thing. It's a farse, but they've already sold thousands. ..too bad it's written in chinese

      --
      My Thoughts, Kyndig
  8. fat hairy drawf... by Wiseazz · · Score: 4, Funny

    and being void of his powers

    They turned him into Newt Gingrich?

    --
    My sig sucks.
    1. Re:fat hairy drawf... by discstickers · · Score: 2

      I was thinking more along the lines of Cowboy Neal. =)

      --
      I have a shitty sig!
    2. Re:fat hairy drawf... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ha ha, you really do care about moderation after all! You measure your worth based on what a bunch of thirteen-year-olds think! Ha ha ha, you are pathetic, this proves it!

    3. Re:fat hairy drawf... by /dev/zero · · Score: 1

      He got better...

      --

      He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom.
      -- J.R.R. Tolkien
  9. The Sixth Harry Potter book soon to follow... by mrsam · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Harry Potter, and the Wrath Of The Troll", wherein Harry Potter is turned into a slashdot editor that can't spell.

    1. Re:The Sixth Harry Potter book soon to follow... by mickwd · · Score: 1, Troll

      Yeah, how come Harry Potter's in a Leotard in this new book ?

    2. Re:The Sixth Harry Potter book soon to follow... by GigsVT · · Score: 1

      It reads like a Slashdot troll wrote it:

      'Harry doesn't know how long it will take to wash the sticky cream cake off his face,' the book begins.

      'He lies in the high-quality china bathtub, keeps wiping his face, and thinks about Dali's face, which is as fat as the bottom of Aunt Penny.'

      So, naked Harry Potter with sticky cream on his face... I bet on the back of the book in tiny letters it says "Trolled by Chinese!"

      --
      I've had enough abrasive sigs. Kittens are cute and fuzzy.
    3. Re:The Sixth Harry Potter book soon to follow... by Shanks · · Score: 1

      A wizard that can't "spell", interesting!

      --
      Sig: Sigh, can't think of a good one :)
    4. Re:The Sixth Harry Potter book soon to follow... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I bet on the back of the book in tiny letters it says "Trolled by Chinese!"

      No, you only get Trolled by Chinese if you're running an IIS server -- the Chinese themselves have Red Flag Linux, the distro that isn't ashamed to out its Communist leanings.

      Just remember kids, We are advocates of the abolition of war, we do not want war; but war can only be abolished through war, and in order to get rid of the gun it is necessary to take up the gun (Chairman Mao, "Problems of War and Strategy" (6 Nov. 1938), Selected Works, Vol. II, p. 225).

    5. Re:The Sixth Harry Potter book soon to follow... by bobtheprophet · · Score: 1

      Since it's Chinese, "Harry Potter and Chairman Jiang Ward Off the Imperialist Dogs" was more what I was thinking of.

      --
      Don't give me none of this "nature theme" business.
    6. Re:The Sixth Harry Potter book soon to follow... by ceejayoz · · Score: 2

      Wouldn't it be more magical if it was a Slashdot editor that can spell?

  10. Publ. FAQ on upcoming Book 5 by ancarett · · Score: 2, Insightful

    From the Bloomsbury website:

    "JK Rowling is happily writing the fifth Harry Potter book and we will announce a publication date once we have received the finished manuscript. As soon as we have any more news about the publication date we will update this area."

    It's also well known that the fifth book will be titled "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix." Book 4, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" was published in July of 2000. 2 years and counting. . . no wonder the fakes are emerging!

    --
    ancarett, historian and zombie gamer
    1. Re:Publ. FAQ on upcoming Book 5 by elveu · · Score: 1

      also harry potter and the goblet of fire has the most inclusive ending of all the ones printed so far. so wating two years when you really have to know what happens yet is quite a long time.

    2. Re:Publ. FAQ on upcoming Book 5 by Joe+Tie. · · Score: 2, Funny

      As a wheel of time fan, no sympathy for them!

      --
      Everything will be taken away from you.
    3. Re:Publ. FAQ on upcoming Book 5 by ancarett · · Score: 1

      You're RIGHT. Migosh, how could I have forgotten that. I'll toddle right off and add that, straightaway. :)

      --
      ancarett, historian and zombie gamer
  11. Awesome! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Where can I buy it? It sounds FAR more interesting
    than the real one!

  12. Hairy Potter? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I always knew his real name was supposed to be Hairy Potter...

  13. Re:This is what the REAL books look like in Chines by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's korean.

  14. Let me guess...the villain must be... by DavidBrown · · Score: 1, Troll

    Wait for it...

    The new Defense of the Dark Arts teacher!

    The Harry Potter books (the real ones) are great for children and OK for adults, but they are quickly turning into formula novels. Rowling needs to shake up the next novel a lot, otherwise Mr. Potter's books will sink back to the children's section.

    Of couse, this wouldn't really be a bad thing.

    --
    144l. ph34r my 133t l3g4l 5k1lz!
    1. Re:Let me guess...the villain must be... by elveu · · Score: 1, Informative

      actually they don't really follow a formula. yes in three out of the four the dark arts teacher has been bad. the villin was the defence of the dark arts teacher in two of them. the dark arts teacher was drunk on illgotten fame in antoher. and in anotehr it ws harrys fathers friend. so no it's not alwasy the defence agains the dark arts techer. in fact the books got more complicated as they go on. the firts one starts off as a childrents cook and as harry gets older the sorys become more complex. sure they're not exceptionally complex but they are good books. people jsut seems to have dismissed harry potter as crap beceause it is popular with children which is very common. like people hated pokemon beceause young kids liked the anime. if they're read with a mondset like that yes you will be looking for faults. but harry potter is not predictable in fact the second one where the defence against the dark arts techer was the bad guy you thought he was the good guy throught the whole thing.

    2. Re:Let me guess...the villain must be... by Com2Kid · · Score: 1

      people jsut seems to have dismissed harry potter as crap beceause it is popular with children which is very common. like people hated pokemon beceause young kids liked the anime./i?

      Umm, pokemon IS crap.

      Horribly CUTE crap mind you, but crap none the less.

      Actually what pisses me off isn't the over marketing, it isn't the shoddy TV show, and it isn't even the CCG knock off.

      It is that it is a DECENT, I repeat, DECENT RPG that was rather linear and boring and good for a few hour run through, and that is it. All the fan fair about a middle-grade RPG isn't really right.

      Yes folks, the game in me still lives on. w00t! SSI GOLD BOX FOREVER, BIZZZOOOTCH!

    3. Re:Let me guess...the villain must be... by Com2Kid · · Score: 1

      Well damnit fucked that up. Lets try this again, Rant 2.0

      people jsut seems to have dismissed harry potter as crap beceause it is popular with children which is very common. like people hated pokemon beceause young kids liked the anime.

      Umm, pokemon IS crap.

      Horribly CUTE crap mind you, but crap none the less.

      Actually what pisses me off isn't the over marketing, it isn't the shoddy TV show, and it isn't even the CCG knock off.

      It is that it is a DECENT, I repeat, DECENT RPG that was rather linear and boring and good for a few hour run through, and that is it. All the fan fair about a middle-grade RPG isn't really right.

      Yes folks, the game in me still lives on. w00t! SSI GOLD BOX FOREVER, BIZZZOOOTCH!

    4. Re:Let me guess...the villain must be... by palo0019 · · Score: 1

      Golly, it's a good thing you didn't spoil any of the story!

    5. Re:Let me guess...the villain must be... by Disevidence · · Score: 2

      I prefer the Gold Box Pools (both) and Curse to NWN. Gold box rocks.

      --
      Think nothing is impossible? Try slamming a revolving door.
    6. Re:Let me guess...the villain must be... by Com2Kid · · Score: 1

      Amen.

      I have all the AD&D Gold Box games, just played through them last year in fact, still just as playable as ever (except for the last version of the GoldBox engine, the SVGA one, that one sucked, eeew, the slow down utilities also have a horrid time with it), and a good reminder as to how hard RPGs are supposed to be.

    7. Re:Let me guess...the villain must be... by whitegold · · Score: 1

      You're right... I've noticed that myself.

      They are rather formulaic.

      Most particularly the "The person you thought was a goody is actually the baddy" thing. Quirrel, Moody, that kid in chamber of secrets, can't remember his name, umm... the rat. At least Prisoner of Azkeban they did it the other way round.

      Still the whole "revealed/switched identities" thing has been done. A lot. Too much.

      The next one should be good, hopefully. The war begins : )

  15. Re:This is what the REAL books look like in Chines by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    Actually, that's what books look like in Korean, champ. This is Chinese.

  16. Figures this is newsworthy by SuperDuG · · Score: 3, Troll
    Lets see ...

    The entire country is blocked by a huge firewall censoring the entire internet. All forms of news and entertainment media are controlled by the government. The country is ran by a one party dictatorship. People have minimal human rights. More than 60% of the country is impoverished.

    But yes, let's focus on the fact that there's a bogus Harry Potter book floating around in China, God knows that's more important.

    --
    Ignore the "p2p is theft" trolls, they're just uninformed
    1. Re:Figures this is newsworthy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Your capitalist media has brainwashed you. China is a socialist utopia, second only to Cuba in standard of living. It's a true people's republic.

    2. Re:Figures this is newsworthy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

      Well, the U.S. is ran by a two party dictatorship...

    3. Re:Figures this is newsworthy by Textbook+Error · · Score: 2, Informative
      The entire country is blocked by a huge firewall censoring the entire internet. All forms of news and entertainment media are controlled by the government. The country is ran by a one party dictatorship. People have minimal human rights. More than 60% of the country is impoverished.
      Sounds like America in 10 years time - if you disagree, you're not a patriot... Did you know our poverty rate was currently at around 14%, with 25% of all women living below the poverty line? See here.
      --

      Nae bother
    4. Re:Figures this is newsworthy by agentZ · · Score: 2

      Perhaps it's a cover message for text based steganography? It would be the perfect way to hide a message: A lot of people are reading it, obfuscating the recipient of the message, and it looks inoccous enough to slip past the radar screen of everybody. Maybe there's something encoded the spaces? Or maybe a pattern to the characters? Who knows...

    5. Re:Figures this is newsworthy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And with all these problems in the world, of which you are admittedly painfully aware, you spend your time grousing on Slashdot. God knows that's more important.

    6. Re:Figures this is newsworthy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Your capitalist media has brainwashed you. China is a socialist utopia, second only to Cuba in standard of living.

      I call bullshit. China has its own "Red Flag" distribution of the communist operating system, Linux. Does Cuba? No, Cuba probably continues to kowtow to the running dogs of Redmond. China is far superior to Cuba, though long live both glorious nations!
    7. Re:Figures this is newsworthy by bharlan · · Score: 1
      China is now a capitalist country, and this book is a product of that economy. It's the details that make sweeping generalities harder to take seriously. If the government controls all media, what was the point of this book?

      Learn more about everyday life in China. China changes more every couple of years than most Western countries change in a decade.

      --
      (Reality reasserts itself sooner or later.)
    8. Re:Figures this is newsworthy by oliverthered · · Score: 2

      They also remove human rights from 60% of the world.
      And keep them impoverished
      And fighting each other
      and......

      --
      thank God the internet isn't a human right.
    9. Re:Figures this is newsworthy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wow....it must suck to be so hyper-concerned with everything all the time. When do you find time to even eat with all the unjustice in the world? Go have a beer or something.

    10. Re:Figures this is newsworthy by ceejayoz · · Score: 2

      If I'm reading those statistics correctly, they basicaly say that almost all poor people are female?

      Doesn't make sense to me...

    11. Re:Figures this is newsworthy by mother_superius · · Score: 1

      That news has already been published, several times. People who read the news generally already know that.

    12. Re:Figures this is newsworthy by Latent+IT · · Score: 2

      Well, if you're in the buisiness of making up statistics, you could consider every housewife below the poverty line since they have no direct 'income'. Of course, things like this are only useful if you're trying to use your 'statistics' to further an agenda.

      Wheeeee!

    13. Re:Figures this is newsworthy by ceejayoz · · Score: 2

      Ah, that's probably it... good thinking.

      Nice example of how statistics can be so misleading :-/

    14. Re:Figures this is newsworthy by pinkpineapple · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Let see:
      - Huget firewall=FBI carnivore.
      - Control of entertainment media=Disney and its senator minions.
      - Ran by one party dictatorship=Bush administration.
      - Minimum human rights=DMCA and other bills against terrorism.
      - 60% of the country empoverished=lots of workers from other countries are under minimum wages.

      For one minute, I thought that you were referring to the US. Phew! I'm glad that you were talking about China.

      PPA, the girl next door.

      --
      -- I feel better now. Thanks for asking.
    15. Re:Figures this is newsworthy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      yeah, it comes out with more ways to deny human rights to its citizens probably every day. how innovative :)

    16. Re:Figures this is newsworthy by porges · · Score: 1

      Well, if you're in the buisiness of making up statistics, you could consider every housewife below the poverty line since they have no direct 'income'.

      Yeah, I suppose you could. There's absolutely no evidence of this on the pointed-to web page, of course; and if you're going to argue with the US Census Bureau, you certainly can, but now you are obliged do more than "make up statistics."

      I also see nothing that looks like the grandparent post's claim that the pointed-to page says that "almost all poor people are female". I see a claim that 24% of American women live in poverty.

    17. Re:Figures this is newsworthy by Latent+IT · · Score: 2

      If you really insist, I'll slam-dunk you with a nice bit of research.

      First, when I want to quote Census Bureau records, I actually go to the Census Bureau, which his link does not.

      From there, I would ask that you scroll down a bit, and look at the number in the column that represents female, total, all races, percent. What number do you find there? To save you the excercise, I'll put it here for you: 12.5%.

      The number from the poorly named "great"-grandparent quote is 24%. This warped number is for African-American females. It is a sad number, and says untold volumes about remaining racial problems in this country, but there is little to gain by distorting facts completely by claiming that 24% of ALL American women live in poverty.

      See, the reason myself and that other guy were making fun of this clown is because he claimed: Sounds like America in 10 years time - if you disagree, you're not a patriot... Did you know our poverty rate was currently at around 14%, with 25% of all women living below the poverty line? Anyone with the ability to think, and do simple math can see that this cannot possibly be true, since there are roughly the same number of men as women, and this would then mean that only 4% of men were below the poverty line. There were classes in school to get you to avoid obvious mistakes like this, called critical thinking. For the record, 10% of men are below the poverty line, more than double what Textbook Error would have you believe.

      Also please note, that the quoter of these claims is a troll. A brief look into his posting history should make that clear. As for jcpr.org, and their erronious faq, I have no idea what got into them. Perhaps we should write them a nice little note. Also, the total poverty rate is under 12%, a notable difference from 14%, but jcpr is quoting from 1997 records. For the record, they are one of the groups that I must conclude has an "agenda".

      I'm sorry if I was a little harsh on you, but I feel you were needlessly sarcastic. You're probably a very nice person, though, and thought I was being overly mean to the poor troll. If it helps, just remember - 74% of statistics are completely made up. ;)

    18. Re:Figures this is newsworthy by porges · · Score: 1

      Well, having followed more links, it looks like you're pretty much right, so I'll take my lumps. The 1997 numbers are here and I see JCPR's 13.3% overall, but their 24% is nowhere to be seen. It's possible they made an honest mistake and computed the rate for "women" by mistakenly going to the column for all black people and meticulously removing children under 18 to get the adult rate -- in the text I just pointed to I can imagine getting it messed up because the layout is wacky. The original pdf here is better laid out.

      I managed to miss the, uh, ancestral poster's claim of the overall rate being 14% and the female rate being 25%, which, yeah, doesn't add up.

      If it helps, just remember - 74% of statistics are completely made up.

      Fortunately we still have the other 67% to go on.

    19. Re:Figures this is newsworthy by whitegold · · Score: 1

      I like australia.

      We just eat bananas and ride kangaroos.

      what's a linux?

  17. News For Nerds by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Stuff that matters?

  18. Re:Harry Potter is for idiots by Peyna · · Score: 1

    If you could create something good enough and pass it off as a sequel to something on a grand scale, who would believe who or what?

    --
    What?
  19. Fan Fiction Popularity by totallygeek · · Score: 3, Interesting
    I think it is funny that fan fiction can become more exciting than the canon storyline (from the author). Look at the craze over Fett with Star Wars. Can you imagine the popularity of a story about Yoda or the birth of the Jedi?

    1. Re:Fan Fiction Popularity by Monkelectric · · Score: 2

      Then again, when the "offical" star wars plot includes shit like thiswho can blame them?

      --

      Religion is a gateway psychosis. -- Dave Foley

    2. Re:Fan Fiction Popularity by PerryMason · · Score: 1

      The birth of the Jedi....hmm I think I remember that one. Something to do with a census, a town that was too full and a stable wasnt it?

      A rolling good work of fiction if I recall.

      --
      "I'm tired of all this 'Aren't humanity great' bullshit. We're a virus with shoes" - Bill Hicks
  20. Globalism, culture, and franchise by Lemmy+Caution · · Score: 4, Insightful
    I don't see it that way. For one thing, it's not piracy - she didn't write this book (I don't read Chinese, so I couldn't tell whether they attributed the book to her or not, but in any case, it's an original work.) In Mexico, you can find a lot of street-artisans who make paper-mache versions of Tweety-Bird, Bugs Bunny, Spider-Man, and the like, and create an informal visual culture based on images that were otherwise completely imported. This is a way of adapting to the fact of being completely overwhelmed by culture industries from overseas.

    I think of this as a combination of a fan-fic and street-level gray-market good. It's the adaptation of a local culture to a global one, and I think it's vital. After all, just who did Disney pay and ask permission from to use the characters in Mu-Lan, or the Lion King, or any of the other non-Western cultural figures that they freely profit from?

    1. Re:Globalism, culture, and franchise by ctar · · Score: 1

      Agreed...If the name is the only holdover from the original (which it sounds like it is), then whats the big deal? Its an original work, which makes it even less piracy. Kind of like 'open source' fiction.

      My cousins used submit their own scripts for Star Trek to the producers. (which I think was encouraged) They were not the creators of Star Trek, but understood the characters, the environment, and could write scripts that were just as good as those written by the actual writers.

    2. Re:Globalism, culture, and franchise by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Apart from the fact that the cover states the author is J.K Rowlin and even shows a picture of her on the back cover.

    3. Re:Globalism, culture, and franchise by Dogtanian · · Score: 1

      Wasn't Mulan an adaption of a traditional Chinese story that Disney made in order to gain favor with the Chinese government- and hence get access to their markets?

      Assuming that Disney have a substantial proportion of their merchandise made in China (I haven't researched this at all, but it seems likely), would they be trying to sell it back to the people that made it- and would they buy it? I'd like to find out...

      --
      "Slashdot - News and Chat Sites Deviant". (Click "homepage" link above for details).
    4. Re:Globalism, culture, and franchise by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's not piracy...it's copyright infringement...well, at the very least, it would violate trademark laws...

      To take what she conceived and make a bastard story from the characters she has so thoughtfully laid out (or so I hear) would certainly piss me off if I were her...

    5. Re:Globalism, culture, and franchise by innocent_white_lamb · · Score: 1

      My cousins used submit their own scripts for Star Trek to the producers. (which I think was encouraged)

      Actually, Star Trek writers were (and probably still are) forbidden to read any scripts from "outside". The producers fear a situation where someone may say, "Hey, I sent you guys a script that used concept X and you included it in Episode Y so now you have to pay me or I'll sue." By insuring that the writers don't read outside scripts this situation is avoided.

      --
      If you're a zombie and you know it, bite your friend!
    6. Re:Globalism, culture, and franchise by CuppaJoe · · Score: 1

      Unbelievable! I suppose you'll be writing the next book in the Lord of the Rings series under the name J.R.R. Tolkein and everyone will celebrate the genius of your "original work".

    7. Re:Globalism, culture, and franchise by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, you ass. There's a difference between impersonating a work in its entirety, and writing a new one based on a character from the original. A character who was 'borrowed' to begin with.

  21. Titles by GigsVT · · Score: 4, Funny

    'Harry Potter And Leoard Walk Up To Dragon.'

    In other news, the fake versions of the sixth and seventh book will be titled "Harry Potter Slay Dragon", and "Harry Potter Steal Dragon Treasure".

    The manuscripts were discovered when buyers found that each only contained 2 pages of text, and a lot of blank pages.

    --
    I've had enough abrasive sigs. Kittens are cute and fuzzy.
    1. Re:Titles by JCCyC · · Score: 5, Funny

      In other news, the fake versions of the sixth and seventh book will be titled "Harry Potter Slay Dragon", and "Harry Potter Steal Dragon Treasure".

      The manuscripts were discovered when buyers found that each only contained 2 pages of text, and a lot of blank pages.


      Harry: What happen?
      Teacher: Someone set up us the spell.
      Harry: Crystal ball turn on.
      Teacher: It's you!
      Dragon: How are you gentlemen?
      Dragon: All your magic are belong to us.

      to be continued...

    2. Re:Titles by whitegold · · Score: 1

      Congratulations on being the third or fourth person to do this. It's still so very funny.

    3. Re:Titles by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Er, no. I checked all occurrences of "are belong" in this page and this guy/gal was first.

  22. BBC Report by jt007 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The BBC also has a report about this here

    --
    I never apologise, I'm sorry but that's just the way I am - Homer
  23. fanfic by Fjord · · Score: 3, Informative

    And peopl eon the internet have been able to read unofficial version of Harry Potter stories for free.

    --
    -no broken link
    1. Re:fanfic by $rtbl_this · · Score: 1

      Oh, and there's some more disturbing stuff than that out there as well.

      --
      "Are you being weird, or sarcastic?" said Emma. I said I didn't know because I get the two feelings mixed up.
  24. Re:This is what the REAL books look like in Chines by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Actually, that would be Korean.

  25. I've seen this dragon before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Did anyone else notice that the dragon on the cover is the one that the evil fairy from Disney's "Sleeping Beauty" turned into?

    1. Re:I've seen this dragon before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Even if I had noticed it I certainly wouldn't admit to it.

  26. Harry Potter fanfiction by Bonker · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I read the article at another source, but am left wondering how the content of 'Leopard Walk up to Dragon' is any different than the reams and reams of bad Harry fanfiction available on sites like Fanfiction.net.

    While it's being sold as Rowling's work, that is the only crime I see being committed, unless the publishers want to stamp out all original Harry fiction in the name of 'protecting their copyright'. Even the most zealous of intellectual property holders, Paramount, doesn't do a thing to inhibit the vast, vast legions of Trek ficcers and slash writers because they know exactly badly they'd alienate their fan communities. Lucas doesn't either. In fact, SW stories flourish on sites like theforce.net.

    I imagine that 'Leopard Walk up to Dragon' is probably a fanstory that got snapped up by an unscrupulous pirate publisher. The real author is probably not getting the credit he or she deserves for being so dedicated as to write a novel-length fan story and the legitimate Harry Potter publishers are going to make everyone's lives miserable because of it.

    --
    The next Slashdot story will be ready soon, but subscribers can beat the rush and slashdot the links early!
    1. Re:Harry Potter fanfiction by elveu · · Score: 1

      no i think it's just that they claimed it was offical that is the problem. if htye said it was a fanfic it would be no problem but if people buy it thinking it's real then they're being ripped off

    2. Re:Harry Potter fanfiction by stevey · · Score: 1
      Lucas doesn't either. In fact, SW stories flourish on sites like theforce.net.

      Some authors are very quick to stomp upon aspiring fan-fic authors though.

      A prime example would be Anne Rice who won't allow any fan-fiction based upon her Vampire series. (A series which she describes as not containing any homo-erotic content .. go figure that out;).

    3. Re:Harry Potter fanfiction by Planesdragon · · Score: 2

      While it's being sold as Rowling's work, that is the only crime I see being committed, unless the publishers want to stamp out all original Harry fiction in the name of 'protecting their copyright'.

      Not protecting their copyrights, but exercising their copyrights. The individual author of a novel creation (like Harry Potter and the various books he's in) has the lifelong right to decide who can and who can't "copy" that creation, including allowing a publisher to print the books in exchange for money, or allowing fans to "copy" parts as a derivitive work for PR benefits.

      The sad part is, though, that J.K. Rowling's going to catch as much heat as Metallica did for trying to protect her IP rights. Thank you /., thank you Microsoft.

    4. Re:Harry Potter fanfiction by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I agree, this sounds like an open and shut case. Furthermore, since the infringing works are being sold, by most countries' law, that makes it easier to prosecute. However, I don't know if PRC is signatory to the Berne Convention so, it may not be easy for Rowling's publisher to shut this down. I'll bet China at least stops whoever is publishing these, but I kind of doubt they will go so far as to seize the existing copies.

      Of course the name "Harry Potter" has been used before in a fantasy context, so a clever imitator could get away with a lot. Fanfics can also be partially protected if they are clearly parody (particularly if names are changed), and if they are not sold for money, it is difficult for a copyright owner to sure for damages in the US at least.

    5. Re:Harry Potter fanfiction by whitegold · · Score: 1

      There's a big difference between someone writing a fan story (which are mostly crap read by others with too much time) and someone publishing work claiming to be another person to make money from an established (and rather good) trademark.

      I don't see how this is even a question.

  27. Translate it by GeekDork · · Score: 1

    And I'll buy a copy. Would be the first HP book I read.

    --

    Fight hunger. Filet a politician and send him to a 3rd world country of your choice.

  28. I'd like to write one too. by orthogonal · · Score: 2, Funny

    I have often thought of writing Hairy Pothead and the Sorcerer, Stoned, about Harry's dissolute adventures with controlled substances and the resulting degradation of his hygiene whilst at university.

    1. Re:I'd like to write one too. by Eudial · · Score: 1

      "Harry is a potthead and the sorcer's stoned" is the original...

      you can buy t-shirts with that text on newgrounds.com

      --
      GAAH! MY PRINTER IS ON FIRE!!! PUT IT OUT! PUT IT OUT!
    2. Re:I'd like to write one too. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      my friend started on one: http://www.suburbancrackhouse.org/~sharkey/writing /potter.htm (warning ugly colors)

    3. Re:I'd like to write one too. by Tablizer · · Score: 2

      (* I have often thought of writing Hairy Pothead and the Sorcerer, Stoned, about Harry's dissolute adventures with controlled substances and the resulting degradation of his hygiene whilst at university. *)

      Most would find the newt-sniffing scene rather disturbing.

  29. Re:Troll by egarland · · Score: 1

    All those things have been covered here before. We all know about them. This, we didn't. Now we do.

    --
    set softtabstop=4 shiftwidth=4 expandtab nocp worlddomination
  30. heh. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    fundamentalism strikes back eh?

    i'm sure they'd be fundamentally overjoyed at having harry devoid of his powers.

  31. Oldest Technique by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    When Miguel de Cervantes was taking too long to publish the sequel to his masterpiece, Don Quijote, some industrious person came out with a fake version as well. It's always happend, and always will

  32. Re:This is what the REAL books look like in Chines by echucker · · Score: 1

    If only the seller had put a hit counter on his auction page.... He'd be sitting around trying to figure out why his page got 20k hits in the last hour, but no bids. ;-)

  33. People seem to be taken for granted.... by cyberon22 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ... that this book is poorly written. Direct translations from any language usually sound horrible. Chinese-English translations are particularly difficult because many language constructions in Chinese just don't have English equivalents. The same goes for English text simply translated into Chinese.

    So while the article linked above mocks the book on the basis of its first sentence. I'd be curious to know if the author (who is seemingly a native English-speaker) has read the original Harry Potter books in their Chinese translation. Is this one really worse???

    Frankly, I'd imagine that if this thing is selling as many copies as the author claims, it's either because it's well written, or because it's fooling a lot of people. And if it's fooling a lot of people, that probably means it's well written. Either that or Rowling needs to get some better English-Chinese translators....

  34. an anonymous author... by prakashj79 · · Score: 1
    That really seems to be the icing on the cake. Sitting behind the great wall, he's probably in one of the safest spots in the world, a place where the police can't get him.

    It's just a matter of coincidence that one of the world's biggest markets is in that very place. Oh well.

    Software piracy has been going on there for quite a while, now they've just gone one step further.

    --
    With profound apologies to whomsoever this sig originally belonged.
  35. Re:They used her picture on the back of the book.. by TheSHAD0W · · Score: 2

    > she's only a pied piper for simpletons that
    > haven't read any real literature since twelfth
    > grade.

    That's why her book was ideal for making into a major motion picture.

  36. Re:Harry Potter is for idiots by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why are we reading abuot poorly written children's books on Slashdot? Harry Potter is pathetic.

    Yes, but Chinese people are cool and they amuse us with their funny language. This story isn't so much about Harry Potter as it is about making fun of an ancient and wise people who cook tasty food and call it stupid names and mispronounce the names. Ha ha. We should continue to laugh at the Chinese until they get their act together and kick our economic ass.

  37. Might as well pretend that it is the next book. by Big+Sean+O · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Ms. Rowling, who was on public assistance when she started the series, is now the third richest woman in England (after HRH and Madonna).

    She is literally set for life. She doesn't have to write another word. A full tummy and villas in Spain tend to damp out the writing urges.

    Therefore, I predict the already late "Harry Potter and the Golden Phoenix" or whatever the heck the book is named, won't be released until 2003, and it will be the last book of the Harry Potter series.

    Remember, it takes a borderline autistic to keep at wild success and really make something big. Other talented obsessives eventually burn out.

    --
    My father is a blogger.
    1. Re:Might as well pretend that it is the next book. by Amanset · · Score: 1

      You seem to be convinced that her only motivation for writing the books is money. You think that, just maybe, she might enjoy doing it?

  38. Re:They used her picture on the back of the book.. by Zeinfeld · · Score: 5, Interesting
    A word of advice to people over fourteen (esp. males): Never recommend Harry Potter books to anyone, and never freely admit having read them. Doing so, (1) reveals your lack of intellectual sophistication, (2) hints at your inability to read books from start to finish (unless they are "For Dummies..." or nine-year-olds, and (3) makes you one of those annoying asswipes that insists that everyone read the all-seeing, all-knowing work of infinite philisophical importance that is the last book you managed to complete (mostly).

    Actually the books are very sophisticated intellectually. The sophistication is generally lost on American readers however who are unaware of the cultural and litterary references that Rowling ads in for the amusement of older readers.

    For example Hogwarts Castle is a parody of Mallory Towers. The use of Magic as a substitute for technological mod cons is a homage to the Flintstones.

    This simply carries on a long tradition of British Children's works, The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe is an allegory of the New Testament. The Harry Potter series as a whole is an allegory of a series of works by Foucault. The Dumbledore character is an anegogical reference to Derrida. The Dursleys are of course a reference to Proust.

    --
    Looking for an Information Security student project suggestion?
    Try http://dotcrimeManifesto.com/
  39. Re:This is what the REAL books look like in Chines by Com2Kid · · Score: 0, Troll

    Actually, that's what books look like in Korean, champ. This [zhongwen.com] is Chinese.

    Rather amazing that some people are .... ignorant enough not to know the difference. ::sighs::

    Then again I guess being in the pacific NW a person learns the difference one way or the other, hehe. I wonder who the stupid e-bay auctioneer is who doesn't even know what he/she is selling?

  40. Re:They used her picture on the back of the book.. by yog · · Score: 1, Troll

    Wow. Lighten up a little, why don't you? Is this jealousy, or what?

    So, Rowling's books are not literature, eh? What is your definition of "real literature"? (Please include lots of expletives, to prove your own intellectual superiority here. Oh yes, and be sure to use the word "philisophical" again--it will certainly bolster your arguments!)

    --
    it's = "it is"; its = possessive. E.g., it's flapping its wings.
  41. All Your Harry Potter... by JLyle · · Score: 1

    ... are belong to us.

  42. Harry Potter is related to Slashdot? by cheezycrust · · Score: 1

    Hmmm... Here, Amazon relates Running Weblogs With Slash to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Widescreen Edition)?

    --
    Teenagers these days don't have as much sex as they want each other to think they do.
    1. Re:Harry Potter is related to Slashdot? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      you've obviously not seen the huge amount of harry potter "slash" out there...

    2. Re:Harry Potter is related to Slashdot? by chromatic · · Score: 1

      They do both have a sort of anti-troll sentiment...

  43. Re:Textbook Error! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    Correcting textbook errors since 2003

    I like a guy who shows up early for work....

  44. Some excerpts ;) by Juhaa · · Score: 2, Funny

    'Harry doesn't know how long it will take to wash the sticky cream cake off his face,'

    'For a civilised young man it is disgusting to have dirt on any part of his body.

    'He lies in the high-quality china bathtub, keeps wiping his face, and thinks about Dali's face, which is as fat as the bottom of Aunt Penny.'

    'He keeps wonder what it is to be man when he grow up then Ginny can be wife and have two children as directed by the Queen Lizerbath II'

    'The soap bubble go up then flop down next to the now dead soap bubble.'

    'Harry wave his thumb and flies in his magic stick which he wave at bubble, bubble turn into TV and he watch BBC where there is a show about how to capture his uncle Black'

    'Harry is not happy'

    'Harry looks down and see he is man now, but he grow not tall, maybe if he play basketball he might but in England Harry only play soccer, that till Harry in school then he play his favourite sport'

    'Harry turn TV into bubble then say prayer to Jesus before walking to kitchen where Aunt Penny is angry with Harry again'

    'Aunt Penny look at Harry and scream'

    AUNT PENNY : 'HELP HELP It's the man from Austin powers, help help!'

    'Harry look puzzle and rub his scar then look in mirror'

    'Harry sees mini me, Harry feel heart break into one piece' ...

  45. MOD UP! LOL by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Dude is that what it really said or you wrote ? Either way it's funny.

  46. ���Q�i�S�лP�\���s YEAH by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    QiSÐP\Às

    Ú]QÝo¥®ÑXI

    ±zÌZÂJ

    ©Ò¦¾÷¦a£OÄÝ©óÚÌI

    ALL YOUR BASE!

  47. Re:They used her picture on the back of the book.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    It amazes me that someone can try to relate the Harry Potter series to Foucault and Derrida, accuse an entire nation of being unsophisticated, and still manage to spell "literary" incorrectly.

  48. Re:They used her picture on the back of the book.. by bobtheprophet · · Score: 1
    And Voldemort is of course a reference to Stalin, while Harry himself embodies the classic hero archetype. Dumbeldore is the mentor figure, with perhaps a tribute to Karl Marx's Das Kapital. Hermoine is a homage to Jung's theory of the collective unconscious, and Draco is a parody of Sauron.

    Or it could just be a normal children's story written by someone looking to get some money, but nah, that's too easy.

    --
    Don't give me none of this "nature theme" business.
  49. Not only that... by Rui+del-Negro · · Score: 2

    ...but, judging from that title, also doesn't know how to use commas. :-)

    RMN
    ~~~

  50. The real title by Tablizer · · Score: 5, Funny

    (* The story has Harry getting turned into a fat hairy drawf and being void of his powers." *)

    Perhaps they should have called it, "Harry Gets Married".

    1. Re:The real title by sharkey · · Score: 2

      Perhaps they should have called it, "Harry Gets Married".

      Or, "Harry Dates Jennifer Ringley".

      --

      --
      "Outlook not so good." That magic 8-ball knows everything! I'll ask about Exchange Server next.
  51. Damn.. by davidsansome · · Score: 2, Funny

    Overpeer's at it again!

    --
    -- Wibble
  52. Read the comment by SuperDuG · · Score: 1, Troll
    It's a Harry Potter book. What value does this serve except for entertainment. Are children blessed with higher intellects by reading this? Are countries brought to peace through it? Do starving families eat well? NO! This is a prime example of media crap. Who cares if Harry Potter has a fake? Who cares if he turns into a troll? When are we going to realize that the world is controlled by media and not by what really counts?

    Where are we honoring our intellectuals? Where are we showing that the value of reasoning is better than the value of dunking a basketball. We need to realize that the world needs to change or else we will begin to regress into worms. I come to slashdot for news that applies to techies and computer intellectuals, if I want to read entertainment news I'll go somewhere else. I was meerly stating that China has a whole heap of problems over the fact that they have a fake Harry Potter book.

    --
    Ignore the "p2p is theft" trolls, they're just uninformed
  53. Giveaway by deepchasm · · Score: 1

    I heard about this fake on the radio. Apparently the giveaway that the book comes from China and not J K Rowling is the "sweet and sour rain".

    The mind boggles! :)

    Julian

  54. Re:They used her picture on the back of the book.. by DEBEDb · · Score: 1
    A word of advice to people over fourteen...

    Fuck off, twit.

    --

    Considered harmful.
  55. what concerns me by lingqi · · Score: 4, Insightful
    is not that there is a book and what not, but as the story has pointed out:

    This is a case which we are aware of and, as with all piracy matters throughout the world, take this issue extremely seriously.

    i am sorry, HUH? piracy matters? wtf does that have to do with this? This is more like infringement of copyright of the Harry Potter name, but there are other people writing fan fictions -- the only thing this author is guilty of is probabbly the fact that he pretended to be Rowling, but throughout the story it appears that he did not try to do that anyway, nor does people really think that he is Rowling because of the difference in writing style etc; so it just boils down to that a fan-fiction got published and we are taking it *way* too seriously because Rowlings believes it's taking away some of her money. good grief people.

    --

    My life in the land of the rising sun.

    1. Re:what concerns me by robson · · Score: 1

      i am sorry, HUH? piracy matters? wtf does that have to do with this?

      Yeah, I was struck by that too. It seems like they're clearly overstating the nature of the "crime" in order to come off more alarmist. There's a lot of that going around right now...

    2. Re:what concerns me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Copyright Name? You mean Trademark?

  56. Well... by Big+Sean+O · · Score: 1

    The repeated delays in the release of the 5th book might just mean she's having a bit of writer's block. Lots of cash just makes it easier to stay blocked.

    I'm sure she enjoys writing and she's actualy quite entertaining, but she might just be getting a little tired of writing about poor old harry.

    I think Douglas Adams was in a similar situation after the first three Hitchhiker's books. The series was insanely popular but a little played out after "Life the Universe and Everything". So he put the old series aside for a bit and wrote two very fresh funny Dirk Gently novels.

    I don't doubt that she'll finish the 5th book, but it's pretty clear that it's much later than expected.

    One other possibility is that she's not blocked on book 5, but she's secretly writing books 6 & 7 at the same time and keeping mum about it.

    --
    My father is a blogger.
    1. Re:Well... by whitegold · · Score: 1

      I heard (at a bookstore when I asked the other day) that apparently she's writing them backwardsish.

      After book... 4 or whatever... goblet of fire, she wrote the LAST one. To get a place to end up. now she's gone back to write the 5th.

      Hence the delay.

      She also said it was originally put at november but will probably be delayed to not distract from the movie coming out then.

  57. Harry Potter And Leopard Walk Up To Dragon by csguy314 · · Score: 1

    Harry Potter: what you say?

    --
    This is left as an exercise for the reader.
  58. The story revolves around... by agrounds · · Score: 4, Funny

    Haryy's quest to continue to find He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named as he journeys across the wild and exotic backdrop of rural China. Along the way he encounters the loveable but stern Master who takes him in and teaches him Leopard-Style Kung-Fu, the only Kung-Fu capable of beating the Voldemort's Dragon-Style. Armed with a quarter staff and the ability to make feathers float, he resumes his quest only to finally meet up with Voldemort against the oft-used-but-still-unappreciated-backdrop of the Great Wall. They challenge each other, make feathers float, then begin the fateful duel. Hilarity ensues. This book has dubbbed speech, or you can choose the subtitle option, where the english shows up at the bottom of the book as a footnote.

    1. Re:The story revolves around... by ebonkyre · · Score: 1
      >teaches him Leopard-Style Kung-Fu, the only Kung-Fu capable of beating the Voldemort's Dragon-Style

      What about the fearsome "Hampster-style"?

      --
      "Time is an abstract concept devised by carbon-based lifeforms to monitor their ongoing decay." - Thundercleese
  59. For further detail on the book read this. by CountBrass · · Score: 1

    I submitted the same story on friday, except mine had a lot more detail, including for example the fact that the author was given as "An English Person J K Rowling" and that the book had JK Rowling's picture on the sleeve and that Harry gets caught in a rain of sweet and sour ! Oh, and that JK Rowling's reps were apparently investigating. Strange how /. picked the submission with the least information. .

    --
    Bad analogies are like waxing a monkey with a rainbow.
  60. What about Larry Potter? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Wasn't Harry Potter just a ripoff of Larry Potter anyway?

    It seems this story has been largely surpressed.

    Check this link out to get started:

    http://abcnews.go.com/sections/GMA/GoodMorningAm er ica/GMA010320_Potter_Suit.html

    From the article:

    Rowling's Harry Potter characters, from books published between 1997 and 2001 are on the left. Characters from Stouffer's Legend of Rah and the Muggles, and other works published between 1984 and 1991 are on the right.

    Rowling's Names, Stouffer's Names

    Harry Potter, Larry Potter
    Muggles, Muggles
    Lily Potter, Lilly Potter
    Neville, Nevils
    Nimbus 2000, Nimbus
    Keeper of the Keys, Keeper of the Gardens

  61. Spoiler alert? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Heh, where's the spoiler warning. =-P

  62. Stupid. by samgaffer · · Score: 1

    How retarded do you have to be to read Harry Potter books? I mean my IT manager read them!

  63. Hacked by Chinese by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    *hearty chuckle*

  64. Check out Spike and Mike's Sick and Twisted... by Guru2Newbie · · Score: 0
    ...animation festival. They had an entry called Harry Pothead, think it was in the last 6 months. Ahh, here it is. 3rd paragraph.

    By Richard von Busack
    "By contrast, "Harry Pothead and the Magical Herb" by Los Primos Productions is a million-dollar idea. In carrying it out, however, the Primos went lazy and just told the story in one set: a kitchen, where a mom reads from the latest Harry Pothead as her kids get high. It's illustrated radio: cartooning for the blind."

    It was funny.

  65. A Excite Game by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    All Your POTTER are belong to us.

    See you later, thanks.

  66. crouching Potter, sleeping Rowling by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    sorry that's all i wanted to say ^^.

  67. Where would someone come up with the idea... by Nindalf · · Score: 2

    ...of a fairy hat dwarf, anyway?

    Anyway, it would be well worth reading if he slew the dragon, took its treasure, then later uttered the line, "Though I badly needed to hire a wizard to change me back, I spent my reward on ale and whores."

  68. drawf(int x, int y, char* string); by kentyman · · Score: 0

    Sounds like some C function to draw text to a VGA screen.

    --
    You know where you are? You're in the $PATH, baby. You're gonna get executed!
  69. Not copyright by The+Creator · · Score: 1

    >This is more like infringement of copyright of the Harry Potter name

    He he, you mean trademark.

    --

    FRA: STFU GTFO
  70. Damn... I was hoping by moody834 · · Score: 1

    ...that it might be slash .

    --
    /* * We did not get what we need .. we cannot sleep ..
  71. Chinese Harry Potter 7 by guttentag · · Score: 2
    Just wait until China gets an "early release" of book seven: Harry Potter and the Deadly Wang Ba

    Back Cover Summary:

    Harry's back for his final year at Hogwarts, but something's not right -- once again. Students who slip out at night to visit wang bas in Hogsmeade are dying in mysterious fires. When Dobby the house elf warns Harry not to go to the wang ba run by Voldemort, Harry has no choice but to dust off his invisibility cloak and investigate. Will Harry survive this last book of the series?
    1. Re:Chinese Harry Potter 7 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The thought of hogsmeade having any gay nightspots... or should I just avoid reading "Students who slip out at night to visit wang bas in Hogsmeade..." out loud? :-P

  72. terminology by bilbobuggins · · Score: 2
    A spokesman for the Christopher Little Literary Agency, which represents her, was quoted as saying: 'This is a case which we are aware of and, as with all piracy matters throughout the world, take this issue extremely seriously.'

    since when is faking something 'piracy'??? is the FBI going to look for money 'piraters' now, and can i buy a 'pirate' rolex on canal st.?
    this 'pirate' thing is getting completely out of hand, it seems like the new definition just boils down to: 'someone who does something a media exec doesn't like'.

    excuse me while i put a patch over my eye and change the channel during the commercials...

  73. Re:They used her picture on the back of the book.. by Junks+Jerzey · · Score: 2

    Actually the books are very sophisticated intellectually. The sophistication is generally lost on American readers however who are unaware of the cultural and litterary references that Rowling ads in for the amusement of older readers. For example....The use of Magic as a substitute for technological mod cons is a homage to the Flintstones.

    Re-read those sentences over and over again until you realize how ridiculous they are.

  74. Actually, it is piracy... by Justen · · Score: 1

    According to Princeton University:

    piracy n the act of falsely representing the ideas or work of others as your own [syn: plagiarization, plagiarisation]

    The anonymous author is misrepresenting the characters in this book as the genuine J. K. Rowling Harry Potter characters. The anonymous author is further having the publication printed using the names of various editors of the genuine books, and even J. K. Rowling herself, according to the BBC.

    So, yes, it is piracy.

    jrbd

    1. Re:Actually, it is piracy... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes, we all know how Blackbeard didn't really come up with the idea to rape wenches and keel haul the men.

      Gah, I'm glad I never went to Princeton. I live in the real world, where pirates board and plunder Carnival Cruise vessels. :p

      Arr, you salty nuts. Arr.

    2. Re:Actually, it is piracy... by BitterOak · · Score: 1
      Hmm. I've heard of the Webster Dictionary and the Oxford Dictionary, but never the Princeton Dictionary. I guess it just never really caught on. I wonder why...

      --
      If I can be modded down for being a troll, can I be modded up for being an orc, or a balrog?
    3. Re:Actually, it is piracy... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Copyright violation has been called piracy since just about forever. When his _Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire_ was ripped off, Edward Gibbon complained about "the pirates of Dublin." Of course, Gibbon was kind of a jerk.

  75. What the hell is a drawf? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It might be a typo dwarf, but on the front page? Can you guys spend 30 seconds to proof-read stuff?

  76. Re:They used her picture on the back of the book.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    The Harry Potter series as a whole is an allegory of a series of works by Foucault.

    Nice troll.

  77. I find that stuff scary by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The fact that people want to somehow take over someone else's characters.

    I think its a lack of imagination myself. When I was a kid, I wanted to write science fiction, but the thought of taking over Clarke's characters and somehow "continue" the story is like a mental illness.

  78. I agree by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    she is now fat-dumb-happy, and I'll be the next story will suck. Some authors have no creative juices once they're rich.

    Either that, or her stories lengths are increasing by two and the publisher is balking at a 2,000 page novel.

  79. Re:They used her picture on the back of the book.. by Some+Dumbass... · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The Harry Potter series as a whole is an allegory of a series of works by Foucault.

    You mean Foucault the philosopher who writes about how social institutions are just power structures used as a means of social control? Not likely.

    That Flintstones bit was weird enough, but this is just silly (Assuming that I understand you correctly -- the grammar in the sentence I quoted is horrid!) If you actually believe this (which I doubt) then let's hear some details.

  80. Re:They used her picture on the back of the book.. by Lemmy+Caution · · Score: 2

    It's a parody of critical theory that amuses only those who know so little about critical theory, that they might actually think that the satirical gun was loaded. It wasn't.

  81. Re:They used her picture on the back of the book.. by SEE · · Score: 2

    after all, she's only a pied piper for simpletons that haven't read any real literature since twelfth grade.

    Only those who are both insecure and pretentious are as desperate as you are to insult other peoples' tastes. So fuck off, twit.

  82. Is this sarcasm? by cyberon22 · · Score: 1

    Comparing Rowling to Lewis is embarassing.

  83. sorry -- incomplete last post by cyberon22 · · Score: 1

    Keyboard error - sorry. I meant to add to that last post that his entire book is horribly incomplete as symbolism.

    Admittedly, I've only read the first one (saw no reason to continue), and will admit it was an entertaining read (I can see why it is so popular), but it just doesn't work on any higher level and the comparison to Lewis is foolhardy. Case in point, why on earth does Rowling make the kids play "black" in the final chess game? The rest of her "symbolism" is equally muddled.

    That being said, I'd love to hear this Dursley-Proust connection. I personally missed the chapter where Harry stalked the headmaster's wife, or Rowling's lengthy digressions on music, love and the power of memory. The comparison to Derrida and Foucault makes more sense, but only because post-modernism is itself insensible.

  84. uh oh.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    sounds like someone has a bit of anti-american angst going on. weeeeeeee

    1. Re:uh oh.... by whitegold · · Score: 1

      Hardly.

      It's a good point, I think.

      Take Harry Potter. Put it in babelfish (if you could get it to do Chinese.) pull it back out again. Are you going to get "good writing"? Probably not!

      And how is it Anti-american to criticize the chinese translation of an English book by a British author?!

  85. Hairy Potter and Leopard Walk Up to Dragon by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Hairy: What happen?
    Teacher: Someone set up us the spell.
    Teacher: We get signal
    Hairy: What!
    Teacher: Crystal ball turn on.
    Hairy: It's You!!
    Dragon: How are you gentlemen?
    Dragon: All your magick are belong to us.
    Dragon: You are on the way to destruction.
    Hairy: What you say !!
    Dragon: You have no chance to survive make your time.
    Dragon: HA HA HA HA ....

    (to be continued)

  86. Re:They used her picture on the back of the book.. by Zeinfeld · · Score: 1, Flamebait
    That Flintstones bit was weird enough,

    The Flintstones was intended as an ironic satire of 'modern' conveniences. Each week there would be a different gadget such as a dishwasher or a gramaphone that was powered by dinosaur.

    Rowling uses the same joke throughout the Harry Potter books, except that instead of dinosaurs, magic is used as a substitute for electricity etc. etc.

    --
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  87. Hodo, The Furry-Footed Burrower by Bones3D_mac · · Score: 1
    --


    8==8 Bones 8==8
  88. Re:They used her picture on the back of the book.. by Zeinfeld · · Score: 1, Flamebait
    It's a parody of critical theory that amuses only those who know so little about critical theory, that they might actually think that the satirical gun was loaded. It wasn't.

    I thought it was reasonably obvious that the main point of comparison between the two was that in both cases people worry excessively about what they are and are not seen to read.

    In the case of post-modern philosophy there are certainly pseuds who read the stuff to look trendy. But the anti-faction are just as ignorant, in most cases criticising work they haven't read.

    With Harry Potter, the humourless jerks who are saying that they wouldn't be seen reading it past the age of 14 never read anything more intellectual than the Penthouse letters page.

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  89. Perpetual copyright on Peter Pan by yerricde · · Score: 2

    After all, just who did Disney pay and ask permission from to use the characters in Mu-Lan, or the Lion King

    DisneyCo pirated two movies from Japan. "The Lion King" is "Kimba the White Lion". "Atlantis" is "Nadia: Secret of Blue Water".

    or any of the other non-Western cultural figures that they freely profit from?

    Actually, some of the Western characters that Disney uses are still under copyright. Take Peter Pan for instance. Peter Pan is still under a limited form of copyright in the United Kingdom and will be forever, or at least until the hospital that owns the copyright goes out of business. No, this isn't Bono Act pseudo-perpetual copyright; it's the real thing. DisneyCo will get a dose of its own medicine when it tries to bring Return to Never Land into DVD Region 2.

    --
    Will I retire or break 10K?
    1. Re:Perpetual copyright on Peter Pan by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, right. They're just sooooo simular! Hey, and did we mention that A Bug's Life was a ripoff of The Three Amigos!?

  90. Re:They used her picture on the back of the book.. by tibloc · · Score: 1

    Ha!! Gotchoo! Hook, line and sinker!!

  91. Re:This is what the REAL books look like in Chines by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Not necessarily. After all, who can tell the difference?

  92. Can't anyone recognize parody? by shimmin · · Score: 2
    A spokesman for the Christopher Little Literary Agency, which represents her, was quoted as saying: 'This is a case which we are aware of and, as with all piracy matters throughout the world, take this issue extremely seriously.'

    Although parody doesn't survive translation well, from the quotes given in the article, it sure feels like this is nothing more than a parody, like Barry Trotter and I'm sure some other less famous ones.

    And, as all good slashdotters should know, parody is fair use under almost all nations' copyright ordinances. So why is this a piracy issue?

  93. screw her by commodoresloat · · Score: 2

    She'd be right to be mad if (1) this was successfully passed off as her work in the West, which won't happen, or (2) if this was direct piracy of her work, which it isn't. Under the circumstances, if she gets mad about it, she's just whining about the fact that she's popular enough that people want to parody (or build upon) her ideas. If you can't take the heat, don't become a famous writer.

  94. In a related news... by aaandre · · Score: 1

    The Chinese have released the 3rd episode of the Star Wars prequels, titled Dark Fist, Jedi Sword.

    The critics are excited to see the first prequel not directed by Lucas and therefore having actors not trying to act like robots.

  95. other derivations I'd like to see by sacrilicious · · Score: 2


    Harry Potter and the Mysterious Centerfold
    Harry Potter and the Unnecessary Suppository
    Harry Potter and the Hookah of Fire
    Harry Potter and the Magic Stock Options
    Harry Potter and the Tryst with Oprah
    Harry Potter and the Special Master
    Harry Potter and the Brown Barking Vapor

    .

    --
    - First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then ???, then profit.
  96. Journalists ignorant of how translation works by AndyChrist · · Score: 2

    The writing in the Chinese book is not quite up to the standards which have made Rowling the most popular children's author of her generation.
    'Harry doesn't know how long it will take to wash the sticky cream cake off his face,' the book begins.

    'For a civilised young man it is disgusting to have dirt on any part of his body.

    'He lies in the high-quality china bathtub, keeps wiping his face, and thinks about Dali's face, which is as fat as the bottom of Aunt Penny.'


    The book is in CHINESE. I'm sure it reads better in the original. Chinese grammar does NOT directly correspond to English, so the awkward phrasing found here is purely a creation of the person who translated this passage to English.

    OTOH, it's a weird simile, and not having read the original books, I don't know if that's consistent with Rowling's writing style.

  97. Followed quickly by the 7th Book... by RasputinAXP · · Score: 2

    "Harry Potter and the Troll of Reading Comprehension," wherein Harry finds that despite all best efforts, people still forget that italicized text is supplied by submitters, not editors!

  98. God forbid... by SPYvSPY · · Score: 2

    ...any criticism should leak into your airtight Colorado biodome.

  99. Prove it! by SPYvSPY · · Score: 2

    While the Harry Potter-readers are oh-so-eager to push that crummy schlock (much like the Danielle Steele-readers, the John Grisham-readers, the Tom Clancy-reader, etc.), the anti-faction haven't said anything at all about what we read. In fact, I've read all of the above (which is how I know it sucks). What doesn't suck? I'm partial to Nicholson Baker for intelligent fiction, Ian M. Banks for my pet-genre sci-fi, and the my secretary has just this moment dropped the new Granta on my desk.

    Please don't take this opportunity to tell me what you read. I'm merely making the point that you're wrong about the anti-faction and porn-mags.