A spokesperson for Warner Brothers and J.K. Rowling issued the following statement following Tuesday’s legal proceedings in the trial over whether the publication of a print version of The Harry Potter Lexicon should be blocked:
“A fan’s affectionate enthusiasm should not obscure acts of plagiarism. The publishers knew what they were doing. The problem remains that the Lexicon takes an enormous amount of Ms. Rowling’s work and adds virtually no original commentary of its own. As we’ve said in court, it takes too much and adds too little. Authors have a duty to prevent the exploitation of their works by people who contribute nothing original, creative or interpretive.”
Leaky will have additional information on the case as the day progresses.
I so desperately want Jo to win because as an aspiring writer, I can’t imagine being in that position. But part of me still can’t help but feel a bit sorry for Steve. But I do stand one hundred percent behind Jo. I’ve been trying not to think about what effects the outcomes could have on the fandom.
Though I am still a bit confused on the legality of this versus previous Potter sidekick type of books. Is it just the lack of commentary?
I do hope she wins and if she doesn’t I hope that nobody that calls themself a true fan buys that book, I will explain to anybody that picks up that book that Jo never wanted for it to be published.
And I wish she knew that she has her fans with her on this one, so DON’T WORRY JO WE WOULD NEVER BETRAY YOU!!!!!!!
I think they are(JK/WB) right coz RDR/SVA have gone too far in plagiarism. I wish SVA would wake up… But, a bit too late, isn’t it? Unfortunately, there are now a lot of other interests than moral issues in this affair…
I think its difficult to day the lexicon doesn’t “contribute anything interpretive”.
In certianly interprets a lot (by developing the timeline for example).
When Steve VDA went on the stand yesterday, he confirmed what I thought had transpired when he decided to publish the Lexicon as a book. For years, Steve had refrained from doing so because he believed, and rightly, that to do so would be a copyright infringement.
But once RDR Publishing realized what a gold mine they could have by publishing a Harry Potter-related book, they advised VDA, and wrongly, that there would be no copyright violation, and that Steve could make a lot more than his librarian’s salary by publishing his once-free website. Greed and self-interest seem to be the motivating factors here, with some very bad and self-serving legal advice by RDR to an impressionable VDA.
At least Steve had the presence of mind to include in his RDR contract that the publishers would have to bear the cost of any litigation arising from publishing his Lexicon.
I’m also sorry to read that Steve has only reportedly earned $6,000 from 2000 to date from Lexicon-site advertising, but I’m trying to imagine what, if anything, other sites like TLC and Mugglenet have earned in profits for their podcasters over the same period.
Those podcast sites are run primarily by college students and 20-somethings (except for our beloved Sue!) who are not motivated by profit, but by love of this book/film series. I’m trying to imagine how profits from Mugglenet’s book on Chapter 7 were divided among its six authors after paying all of their bills for website/podcast operations. Gee, maybe enough to pay for their textbooks this semester?
The contrast between SVA’s and other sites’ HP motives for publishing is sad. Legal issues aside, the motivations for publishing a Lexicon are so obviously based upon a 50-something’s last stab at making both a profit and a mark in life (I’m a 50-something myself, so I understand the feeling) that it ultimately comes off as somewhat pathetic.
I feel sorry for Steve Van Der Ark, because he is obviously a huge fan of Jo’s and of Harry Potter, but it seems he was tempted and misguided by others who sought to get their own piece of the HP profit pie before it turns cold.
I think it is so unfair of what they are doing to Jo. She created Harry Potter. We owe so much to her. And Steve still calls himself a fan when he drags the author of the books half way across the world to fight with him. It’s just wrong.
I am very weary of all this mess honestly. The fact is Steve knew it was wrong from the outset and went along with it anyway to make money. No one put a gun to his head and made him sign a contract with RDR. He did it simply because of greed and made sure that RDR would bear the brunt of WB and JKR when they found out what he was going to do. Don’t let Steve’s crocodile tears fool you. I don’t feel bad for him at all. He got caught and now he’s being slapped for it. Serves him right. No one has the right to steal from someone else and say it’s their work.
I don’t feel sorry for SVA. The fact that he could think enough to have the idemnification clause put in his contract shows me that he was not misled at all. If he had truly been misled, he would not see the need to have it at all and he’d be getting sued as well. The reason he has been so shunned by a good percentage of the fandom is not because he signed the contract, but because of the things he’s said. If he had just stayed quiet, his testimony would seem more sincere.
He knew exactly what he was getting himself into. No one forced him to sign that contract. He’s not a naive twenty-something; he’s a fifty year old father.
Agreed Wizengamut! His testimony said it all. He knew it was wrong but did it anyway knowing RDR would have to pay for his defense/damages. Very sad indeed. SVA was one of those people I viewed as a true fan up until this. Greed can touch even the best of people.
[i]"Beds empty! No note! Car gone -- could have crashed -- out of my mind with worry -- did you care? -- never, as long as I've lived -- you wait until your father gets home, we never had trouble like this from Bill or Charlie or Percy --"[/i]
so true, so true!
I hope this works out for Jo/WB!