I remember a front page story in a local paper right before the third book came out about kid who found a copy in a grocery store a week before it was actually released. But there was certainly no court intervention.
The publisher could use this kind of thing as a marketing strategy. A couple weeks before the release date, start making noise about stores "accidentally" selling copies, and tell people not to buy any copies that might be available. The stores could keep two or three copies quietly on the shelf. I know I'm a lot more likely to buy a Harry Potter book if I think I'm the only one who has it. Plus, it's only going to generate more interest if people start hearing about it on the news.
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I remember a front page story in a local paper right before the third book came out about kid who found a copy in a grocery store a week before it was actually released. But there was certainly no court intervention. The publisher could use this kind of thing as a marketing strategy. A couple weeks before the release date, start making noise about stores "accidentally" selling copies, and tell people not to buy any copies that might be available. The stores could keep two or three copies quietly on the shelf. I know I'm a lot more likely to buy a Harry Potter book if I think I'm the only one who has it. Plus, it's only going to generate more interest if people start hearing about it on the news.