Warner Bros Is Cracking Down On Harry Potter Festivals (apnews.com)

Warner Bros is cracking down on local Harry Potter fan festivals around the country, saying it's necessary to halt unauthorized commercial activity. From a report: Fans, however, liken the move to Dementors sucking the joy out of homegrown fun, while festival directors say they'll transfigure the events into generic celebrations of magic. "It's almost as if Warner Bros. has been taken over by Voldemort, trying to use dark magic to destroy the light of a little town," said Sarah Jo Tucker, a 21-year-old junior at Chestnut Hill College, which hosts a Quidditch tournament that coincides with the annual suburban Philadelphia festival. Philip Dawson, Chestnut Hill's business district director, said Warner Bros. reached out to his group in May, letting them know new guidelines prohibit festivals' use of any names, places or objects from the series. That ruled out everything from meet-and-greet with Dumbledore and Harry to Defense Against the Dark Arts classes. Related story, from 18 years ago: Harry Potter Sites vs. Warner Brothers.

Comments

Re:Great business decision....

[HornWumpus]

If that was all there was to it, the license fees would be relatively small.

I'll bet no license was offered, TW needs to drive traffic to their 'Harry Potter' theme parks.

Next thing you know, little kids will play 'Harry Potter' using random sticks as magic wands and pillow cases as capes. That's just like stealing from TW.

I've got to say: Good on TW, little kids will play 'Harry Potter' without imagination licenses. Older LARPing renfest nerds need to get a life (or just become furries), not expand to Harry Potter. Doesn't the world have enough 35+ year old, fat, 'princess leia slave girls'?