C’mon guys I’m not agreeing with the actions of Steve and I do believe he was in the wrong and should have acted but you have to admit this is clearly bound to be hard on the guy. I just wish the whole thing was over with personally
“USA Today also reports that Mr. Vander Ark noted that he had concerns regarding whether the publication of the book would constitute copyright infringement, and that he was talked into publication by the publishing company.” Oh my my, is that the best defense he has? When I read that, I instantly thought of a 5 year old pointing the finger and blaming someone else for coercing him into doing something naughty. Anyways, I passed by the courthouse that the JKR/RDR case is held today, and there were a lot of JKR supporters outside, I was glad to see.
I hope that John Buechler sues the pants off of JKR – looks like she ripped off a movie done in the 80’s – Harry Potter’s name and all! It would quite the irony and I can’t wait to see it happen. She has sued so many, and while she’s won many of those suits, I doubt she’d be able to win this one. What goes around comes around.
Whether hard on him or not he had plenty the oppertunity to cease his plans before it went as far as court
There was NOTHING wrong with what Steve did..Jo has sour grapes and wants more money..plain and simple. Also plain and simple..if you do not agree then you are WRONG!
It was BY A FAN FOR FANS about the HP universe..why is is hard for the Jo worshippers to get? He is GLORIFYING the HP world..not stealing from She is wrong and being selfish. Further more she is SCREWING THE FANS OVER!!!
Adam, I agree with you. However, if he indeed did say he was forced into this, it is completely different than what he said just two weeks ago. You don’t find that odd?
“There was NOTHING wrong with what Steve did..” What Steve did was little more than take Jo’s baby, slice it up into its individual body parts, arrange them alphabetically, freeze them, and attempt to sell them to the public.
“If you do not agree then you are WRONG!” Ah, the essence of true ignorance in this case. Clearly, you’ve not read even the half of what is available.
”..not stealing from” No, he’s very clearly stealing from it. Even he thinks so. What part of that do you not understand?
“she is SCREWING THE FANS OVER!!!” She’s trying to protect her fans, actually. If this case is a win for RDR, you can kiss the fandom goodbye.
This isn’t cool. This case has made the headlines of many news sources and it’s made JKR look very very bad. Many of those who haven’t been following news from TLC don’t fully understand the case, but they all judge her so harshly. Today, while I was in class, this narrow-minded jerk was saying awful, awful things about her and saying what he’d like to throw at JKR and awful situations he hope would happen to her. It was infuriating, but I can’t change his mind. It’s just, now so many people think she’s this attention-wanting, money-hogging, control freak, and many more worse things. SHE DOESN’T DESERVE THIS, SHE REALLY DOESN’T.
Why is it that people roll their eyes in disgust that Rowling tried not to cry and yet feel sympathetic for the berk who’s on the stand crying his eyes out today? Does that make sense to anyone?
Oh, did RDR make Steve sign that contract? No. He knew it was wrong that’s why he had them indemnify him against infringement lawsuits specifically brought by JK Rowling.
Let’s not forget, too, that he’s still trying to extort money from WB and JK over the timeline.
In the words of Harry: “Be a man…try…try for some remorse.”
Cause honestly, I’m not seeing remorse, I’m seeing “They made me”...”Why me”...”You don’t understand”. All I’m seeing is someone who’s passing the buck.
Shame, shame, shame!
I think some of you are being a bit harsh. Why all the bile? If he seems sorry shouldn’t he be given the benefit of the doubt? You know, it’s sort of bullying if you gang up on a person like that and are not happy until they’re completely broken. If I were him I’d feel pretty awful after what JKR said too so I don’t think his remorse is by any means a stretch of the imagination. I don’t agree with his actions and I think JKR is justified in her suit but she seems a little irascible and I think SHE was being harsh too.
Also, I can totally imagine him having been talked into pushing ahead with publishing despite JKR’s objections. It’s very, very likely.
If people will believe that the publisher talked him into publishing the lexicon, they’ll believe anything. I wonder whether the publisher talked SVA into leaving his wife and kids? Or to take up with some twinkie who is half his age?
I think SVA has remorse, now. I think he didn’t realize the backlash from fans that would happen. He was taking himself way too seriously and now he’s paying the price.
“Jo has sour grapes and wants more money..plain and simple”
If you were even remotely informed about the case, you would know that she only cares about the money going to CHARITY. Jo is one of the best examples of unselfishness and honesty; I feel sorry that you don’t see that.
Leaky is not still associated with the Lexicon;
Putting on my professional hat, I was fascinated to see that Jo actually went to the hearing because both sets of lawyers agreed that her attendance was not necessary as it is really a a case that will be decided on a legal construction point. But -if she was my client, I would respect her wishes to attend, just as her own lawyers rightly did and as, an intelligent person, appears to have acquiited herself well.
One cannot help but recall, her husband’s comment in that recent “Year In the Life ” documentary about Jo always wanting to do things herself…...
Anyway, good luck to her.
Yet another example by Steve Vander Ark of how you should keep your mouth shut and let the lawyers do the talking.
Rachel, you asked “Was Jo there?”
According to the Wall Street Journal Law Blog, “the plaintiffs counsel positioned [Jo] directly in front of the witness stand.”
http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2008/04/15/harry-potter-lexicon-author-breaks-down-on-the-stand/?mod=WSJBlog