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J. K. Rowling Wins $6,750 In Infringement Case

Posted by kdawson on from the slap-it-into-gringott's-bank dept.

NewYorkCountryLawyer writes "J. K. Rowling didn't make enough money on Harry Potter, so she had to make sure that the 'Harry Potter Lexicon' was shut down. After a trial in Manhattan in Warner Bros. v. RDR Books, she won, getting the judge to agree with her (and her friends at Warner Bros. Entertainment) that the 'Lexicon' did not qualify for fair use protection. In a 68-page decision (PDF) the judge concluded that the Lexicon did a little too much 'verbatim copying,' competed with Ms. Rowling's planned encyclopedia, and might compete with her exploitation of songs and poems from the Harry Potter books, although she never made any such claim in presenting her evidence. The judge awarded her $6,750 and granted her an injunction that would prevent the 'Lexicon' from seeing the light of day." Groklaw has an exhaustive discussion of the judgement.

10 of 521 comments (clear)

  1. Poor Harry... by geminidomino · · Score: 4, Funny

    "Please, Ms. Rowling, I'm so tired and bleeding from both ends..."

    "Is J.K. gonna have to choke a bitch? Get me my money!"

    1. Re:Poor Harry... by virgil_disgr4ce · · Score: 3, Funny

      Exactly, it's a variation on Slashdot Procedural Post (SPP) #1: "I'm not a [skilled occupation], but they're idiots for not thinking of [obvious flaw]."

      This variation, 1a perhaps, is "I haven't read [book or article], but I nonetheless know everything about it and they're idiots."

      --
      Limina.Log
  2. Just like the books... by pwizard2 · · Score: 4, Funny

    *JK points wand at lexicon project*

    Avada Kedavra!

    --
    "It is a denial of justice not to stretch out a helping hand to the fallen; that is the common right of humanity."
  3. Thanks, NewYorkCountryLawyer! by crenshawsgc · · Score: 5, Funny

    But I noticed you accidently wrote at least one sentence that doesn't totally drip with contempt for this ruling. Please don't let this happen again - you know we /.ers don't know what opinions to have unless you spell it out for us.

    1. Re:Thanks, NewYorkCountryLawyer! by NewYorkCountryLawyer · · Score: 4, Funny

      I noticed you accidently wrote at least one sentence that doesn't totally drip with contempt for this ruling.

      Dammit. Sorry about that. I don't know how I let that slip through.

      --
      Ray Beckerman +5 Insightful
  4. Re:Before the outrage starts... by edittard · · Score: 4, Funny

    How does that NOT fail the "fair use" test?

    Because she's got lots of money and that's not fair? Somebody better call a waaaaghmbulance for NewYorkCountryLawyer!

    --
    At the bottom of the /. main page it says 'Yesterday's News'. Well they got that right.
  5. Re:What does her wealth have to do with it? by kesuki · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Why is it wrong for a Slashdot post to express an opinion?"

    Because of the borg, you will be assimilated, resistance is futile. opinion must be shared by all, or not exist. there can be no bias, except that of the slashdrone. there must be no argument on what is right, for the slashdrones can not argue.

    --
    https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html
  6. hrm, biased much? by spottedkangaroo · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'm reading this blurb like this, "Judges, in a remarkably stupid an uninformed decision, said that JK Rowlings can be a greedy bitch." Wow.

    --
    Imagine if you weren't allowed to use roads because a bus company complained about your driving 3 times. --skunkpussy
  7. Re:What does her wealth have to do with it? by j_166 · · Score: 3, Funny

    "not until Star Trek: TNG was something of that scale attempted (languages created, cultures defined, etc...) "

    Obviously, you have never heard of Scientology.

  8. Re:simple by Hognoxious · · Score: 4, Funny

    Kids aren't people?

    Correct, they're baby goats.

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."